OUR  LITTLE 

;SPANISHCOUSIN 


MARY-F-NIXON-ROULET 


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AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


PRESENTED  BY 


Elizabeth  Preston  Ward 

in  memory  of 
Jean  Versfelt  Preston 


FERNANDO 

Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 


THE 

Little  Cousin  Series 

(trade  mark) 

Each  volume  illustrated  with  six  or  more  full-page  plates  in 

tint.     Cloth,  i2mo,  with  decorative  cover, 

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By  Mary  Hazelton  Wade 

(unless  otherwise  indicated) 


Our  Little  African  Cousin 
Our  Little  Alaskan  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

Our  Little  Arabian  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Armenian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Australian  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Brazilian  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

Our  Little  Brown  Cousin 
Our  Little  Canadian  Cousin 

By  Elizabeth  R.  MacDonald 

Our  Little  Chinese  Cousin 

By  Isaac  Taylor  Headland 

Our  Little  Cuban  Cousin 
Our  Little  Dutch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Egyptian  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  English  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 
Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 
Our  Little  French  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 
Our  little  German  Cousin 
Our  Little  Greek  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 


Our  Little  Hawaiian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Hindu  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 
Our  Little  Hungarian  Cousin 
By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Indian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Irish  Cousin 
Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Japanese  Cousin 
Our  Little  Jewish  Cousin 
Our  Little  Korean  Cousin 

By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 
Our  Little  Mexican  Cousin 

By  Edward  C.  Butler 
Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 
Our  Little  Persian  Cousin 

By  E.  C.  Shedd 
Our  Little  Philippine  Cousin 
Our  Little  Porto Rican  Cousin 
Our  Little  Russian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Scotch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 
Our  Little  Siamese  Cousin 
Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Swedish  Cousin 

By  Claire  M.  Coburn 
Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 
Our  Little  Turkish  Cousin 


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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

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FERNANDO 

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Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

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By 

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Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

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Author  of  «  God,  the  King,  My  Brother,"  "With 

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a  Pessimist  in  Spain"  etc. 

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Illustrated  by 

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Blanche  McManus 

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Boston 

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L.  C.   Page  &  Company 

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Publishers 

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Copyright,  igo6 
By  L.  C.  Page  &  Company 

All  rights  reserved 


Third    Impression,    July,    1908 
Fourth  Impression,  March,  1910 


Co 
Paul  and  Antoinette 


Preface 

Washed  by  the  blue  Mediterranean  and 
kissed  by  the  warm  southern  sun,  the  Iberian 
Peninsula  lies  at  the  southwestern  corner  of 
Europe.  To  this  sunny  land  of  Spain  we  owe 
much,  for,  from  its  hospitable  shores,  aided 
by  her  generous  queen,  Columbus  sailed  to 
discover  that  New  World  which  is  to-day  our 
home.  We  should  therefore  be  very  friendly 
to  the  country  which  helped  him,  and  Ameri- 
can boys  and  girls  should  welcome  the  coming 
of  Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin. 


Contents 


— ♦ — 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    The  Christening i 

II.     School -days 10 

III.  A  Visit  to  a  Hacienda    ....  19 

IV.  At  the   Alhambra 33 

V.    Antonio's  Story 43 

VI.     The  Holidays 53 

VII.     Easter  in  Sevilla 65 

VIII.     Rainy  Days 74 

IX.     To  the  Country 87 

X.  Games  and  Sports     .....  96 

XI.     A  Tertulia 104 

XII.    Viva  el  Rey! 117 


List  of  Illustrations 


PAGE 

Fernando  and  His  Donkey  (Seepage  60)  Frontispiece 
"  The  owner  pulled  it  up  to  her  window  again  "  6 
"  They   played   hide    and    seek    through    the 

marble  halls" 40 

"All  the  people  of  the  town  who   had   such 

animals  drove   them  down  to  the  church 

to  be  blessed  " 60 

"  Their  bodiess  wayed  to  and  fro  in  time  to 

the  music" 71 

"  They  went  to  the  Alcazar  gardens  "  .   .84 


FERNANDO 

Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE    CHRISTENING 

One  of  the  first  things  which  Fernando 
remembered  was  the  christening  of  his  little 
sister.  He  was  five  years  old  and  had  no 
other  brother  or  sister  to  play  with,  for  Pablo, 
his  wonderful  big  brother,  was  away  at  the 
Naval  School,  and  his  older  sister,  Augustia, 
was  at  school  in  the  convent. 

When  Fernando's  nurse  told  him  that  he 
had  a  little  sister  he  was  delighted,  and  begged 
to  see  her;  and  when  all  his  relatives  on  both 
sides  of  the  house  came  to  see  the  baby 
christened,  he  was  still  more  pleased. 


2        Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

Fernando  was  a  little  Spanish  boy,  and  in 
his  country  a  great  deal  is  thought  of  kinsfolk, 
for  the  Spanish  are  very  warm-hearted  and 
affectionate.  So  Fernando  was  glad  to  see  all 
his  aunts  and  uncles  and  cousins  and  all  the 
friends  who  happened  to  be  visiting  them 
at  the  time. 

Fernando's  father,  the  Senor  Don  Juan  de 
Guzman,  was  a  courtly  gentleman,  and  he 
bowed  low  over  the  ladies'  hands,  and  said, 
"  The  house  is  yours,  senora !  "  to  each  one ; 
so,  as  boys  generally  copy  their  fathers,  Fer- 
nando assured  his  little  cousins  that  he  "  placed 
himself  at  their  feet,"  and  welcomed  them  just 
as  politely  as  his  father  had  the  older  folk. 

What  a  wonderful  time  he  had  that  day ! 
First  came  the  christening  in  the  great  Cathe- 
dral which  towers  above  Granada,  and  in 
which  lie  buried  the  king  and  queen,  Ferdi- 
nand and  Isabella,  in  whose  reign  Columbus 
sailed  away  from   Spain  to  discover  America. 


The  Christening  3 

The  Cathedral  was  so  grand  that  it  always 
made  Fernando  feel  very  strange  and  quiet, 
and  he  thought  it  was  shocking  that  the  baby 
cried  when  the  priest  poured  water  on  her 
and  baptized  her,  Maria  Dolores  Concepcion 
Isabel  Inez  Juanita.  This  seems  a  long  name 
for  such  a  tiny  little  mite,  but  there  was  a 
reason  for  every  single  name,  and  not  one 
could  be  left  out.  Nearly  all  Spanish  children 
are  named  Maria,  whether  boys  or  girls,  be- 
cause the  Spaniards  are  devoted  to  the  Virgin 
Mary,  and  as  the  baby  was  born  on  the  Feast 
of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  she  was  called 
Concepcion.  Isabel  was  for  her  aunt,  and 
Inez  was  for  her  godmother,  and  Juanita 
for  her  father.  Her  name  did  not  seem  at 
all  long  to  Fernando,  for  his  name  was  Fer- 
nando Antonio  Maria  Allegria  Francisco  Ruy 
Guzman  y  Ximenez.  Every  one  called  him 
Fernando  or  Nando,  and  his  long  name  had 
troubled  him  but  once  in  all  his  gay  little  life, 


4        Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

That  time  he  had  been  naughty  and  had 
run  away  from  his  aya,  the  nurse  who  always 
watches  little  Spanish  children  like  a  faithful 
dog,  and  he  had  fallen  into  the  deep  ditch 
beside  the  great  aloe  hedge. 

The  aloes  are  stalwart  plants  with  long 
leaves,  wide-extending  and  saw-toothed,  and 
they  are  often  planted  close  together  so  as 
to  make  hedgerows  through  which  cattle  can- 
not pass.  The  leaves  of  the  aloe  are  sometimes 
a  yard  long,  and  they  are  very  useful.  From 
them  are  made  strong  cords,  and  also  the 
alpargataSy  or  sandals,  which  the  peasants  wear ; 
and  the  fibres  of  the  leaf  are  separated  from 
the  palp  and  made  into  many  things  to  wear. 
The  central  stem  of  the  aloe  grows  sometimes 
twenty  feet  high,  and  it  has  a  number  of  stems 
on  the  ends  of  which  grow  yellow  flowers. 
The  leaves  are  a  bluish-green  in  colour,  and 
look  like  long  blue  swords.  The  long  hedge- 
rows look  very  beautiful  against  the  soft  blue 


The  Christening  5 

of  the  Spanish  sky,  but  little  Fernando  did  not 
see  anything  pretty  in  them  as  he  lay  at  the 
bottom  of  the  ditch,  roaring  lustily. 

"Who's  there?"  demanded  an  American 
gentleman,  who  was  travelling  in  Spain,  as  he 
came  along  on  the  other  side  of  the  hedge, 
and  Fernando  replied,  "  Fernando  Antonio 
Maria  Allegria  Francisco  Ruy  Guzman  y 
Ximenez  !  " 

"  If  there's  so  many  of  you  I  should  think 
you  could  help  each  other  out,"  said  the 
American,  and  when  he  finally  extricated  one 
small  boy  he  laughed  heartily,  and  said,  as 
he  took  Fernando  home  : 

"  I  should  think  a  name  like  that  would 
topple  you  over."  After  that  Fernando  always 
called  Americans  "  the  people  who  laugh." 

After  the  baby  was  christened,  they  went 
home  through  the  narrow  streets  of  the  quaint 
old  town.  All  the  horses  wore  bells,  and,  as 
they  trotted  along,  the  tinkle,  tinkle  sounded 


6        Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

like  sleighing-time  in  America.  The  reason 
for  this  is  that  in  many  places  the  streets  are 
too  narrow  for  two  carriages  to  pass,  and  the 
bells  give  warning  that  a  vehicle  is  coming, 
so  that  the  one  coming  from  the  opposite 
direction  may  find  a  wide  spot  in  the  road, 
and  there  wait  till  the  other  carriage  has 
passed. 

As  the  christening  party  went  toward  the 
home  of  Fernando,  it  passed  a  man  driving 
two  or  three  goats,  and  he  stopped  in  front  of 
a  house,  from  a  window  of  which  was  let  down 
a  string  and  a  pail.  Into  this  the  man  looked, 
and  taking  out  a  piece  of  money  which  lay 
in  the  bottom,  he  milked  the  pail  full  from  one 
of  the  goats,  and  the  owner  pulled  it  up  to  her 
window  again.  It  seems  a  strange  way  to  get 
your  morning's  milk,  but  it  is  sure  to  be  fresh 
and  sweet,  right  from  the  goat,  and  there  is 
no  chance  to  put  water  in  it,  as  milkmen 
sometimes  do  in  America. 


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The  Christening  7 

The  houses  Fernando  passed  were  all  painted 
in  many  soft  colours,  and  they  had  charming 
little  iron  balconies,  to  some  of  which  palm 
branches  were  fastened,  blessed  palms  from 
the  church  at  Holy  Week,  which  the  Span- 
iards believe  will  keep  lightning  from  striking 
the  house. 

Fernando's  house  was  much  larger  than  the 
rest,  for  his  father  was  a  noble  of  one  of  the 
oldest  families  in  Spain,  whose  ancestors  had 
done  many  splendid  things  for  the  state  in 
the  olden  times.  The  house  had  several 
balconies,  from  which  hung  down  long  sprays 
of  blossoms,  for  every  balcony  railing  was 
filled  with  flower-pots.  There  grew  vines 
and  flowers,  nasturtiums,  hyacinths,  wallflow- 
ers, pinks  and  violets,  their  sweet  scents  filling 
the  air, 

When  the  christening  party  entered  the 
house,  the  baby  was  borne  off  to  the  nursery, 
and  Fernando,  no    longer  a    baby,  but  a  big 


8        Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

boy  with  a  baby  sister,  was  allowed  to  go  with 
the  rest  to  the  patio,  where  breakfast  was 
served. 

The  patio  is  one  of  the  most  charming  things 
about  the  real  Spanish  houses.  It  is  a  court 
in  the  centre  of  the  house,  larger  than  an  ordi- 
nary room,  with  a  marble  floor  and  a  huge 
awning  which  protects  from  the  sun,  yet  leaves 
the  patio  open  to  the  fresh  air  and  sweet  scents 
of  the  sunny  out-of-doors.  All  the  family 
gather  in  the  patio,  and  it  is  the  favourite 
lounging-place  for  old  and  young.  In  the 
patio  of  the  Senor  Guzman's  house  were  orange- 
trees  and  jasmine,  and  all  colours  of  violets 
bloomed  around  the  marble  rim  of  the  foun- 
tain, which  was  in  the  centre. 

What  a  wonderful  thing  that  christening 
feast  was  to  Fernando  !  There  was  much  laugh- 
ing and  talking,  and  such  good  things  to  eat ! 

When  all  were  through  eating,  little  Jua- 
nita's  health  was  drunk,  and  her  godfather  pro- 


The  Christening  9 

posed  her  health,  and  recited  a  poem  he  had 
composed  in  her  honour. 

"  Queridita  Ahijada ! 
Plegue  al  cielo  que  tu  vida 
Sea  feliz  y  placentera 
Cual  arroyo  cristalino 
Que  atraviesa  la  pradera 
Su  Padrino,  Francesco.5"  x 

This  very  much  delighted  every  one,  and  so 
with  laughter  and  merriment  the  christening 
feast  was  over. 

1 "  Please  God,  my  little  godchild, 
That  your  life  as  pure  may  be 
As  the  laughing  brook  which  through  the  valley, 
Runneth  ever  limpidly. 
Your  Godfather  Francesco 
Wishes   fervently." 


CHAPTER   II. 

SCHOOL  -  DAYS 

When  Fernando  was  seven  years  old  he 
began  to  go  to  school.  Little  Juanita  cried 
bitterly,  for  she  was  devoted  to  the  big  brother 
who  played  such  lovely  games  with  her,  and 
she  did  not  like  to  think  of  his  being  away 
from  her  nearly  all  day.  However,  she  was 
told  that  Fernando  was  a  big  boy  now,  and 
that  before  long  she  would  be  having  a  gov- 
erness to  teach  her  to  read  and  embroider, 
so  she  stopped  crying  very  quickly,  for  she 
was  a  sunny  little  child,  and  went  to  picking 
flowers  in  the  garden  quite  contentedly. 

How  grown   up  Fernando  felt !     To  be  a 

real    schoolboy !     His    school-days    were    all 

alike.     He  arose  at  half-past  seven,  when  the 

xo 


School-days  1 1 

church-bells  were  ringing  for  the  daily  service ; 
he  had  a  bath,  said  his  prayers,  and  dressed 
himself  very  neatly,  for  he  had  first  to  be 
looked  over  by  his  aya^  and  then  inspected  by 
his  mamma,  to  see  if  he  could  pass  muster, 
and  was  clean  and  neat  as  a  little  Spanish 
gentleman  should  be.  Mamma  being  satisfied 
with  his  appearance,  he  gave  her  his  morning 
kiss,  and  greeted  the  rest  of  the  family.  Then 
followed  breakfast, —  a  simple,  wholesome  meal 
of  semola,  or  gruel  and  warm  milk,  with  bread 
and  honey  and  eggs. 

After  a  run  in  the  garden,  the  ayo,  or  pre- 
ceptor, called  to  take  him  to  school.  Fer- 
nando skipped  happily  away  to  study  until 
twelve  o'clock,  when  dinner  was  served  to  the 
day  boarders,  a  dinner  of  soup,  vegetables, 
and  dessert,  with  a  little  playtime  afterward. 
Spanish  boys  do  not  take  tea  or  coffee  until 
they  are  grown  up.  At  half-past  four  the 
boys  are  turned  out  of  school,  and  then  comes 


12      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

the  delight  of  the  day  to  Fernando.  His  ayo 
has  disappeared,  and  in  his  stead  has  come 
Manuel,  his  own  man,  who  tells  such  delight- 
ful stories  of  knights  and  warriors  and  the 
glories  of  Spain,  and  who  thinks  that  all  his 
little  master  does  is  perfect.  Manuel  knows 
all  about  the  city,  and  he  is  willing  to  take  Fer- 
nando any  place  he  wishes  to  go,  provided 
it  is  a  fit  place  for  a  boy  of  rank.  He  knows 
just  where  the  marionettes  are  playing,  and 
if  there  is  a  gay  crowd  on  the  square,  a  trained 
bear  or  a  funny  little  monkey,  he  will  be  sure 
to  have  heard  about  it,  and  take  Fernando 
to  see  it.  If  there  is  no  special  excitement, 
Manuel  takes  him  to  the  paseo,  where  all  the 
boys  of  the  town  gather.  Here  they  play 
in  mimic  battles  and  bull-fights,  and  Fernando 
enters  into  everything  with  delight,  until  Man- 
uel thinks  it  is  time  for  the  senora,  his  mother, 
to  pass  by  in  the  carriage.  How  delighted 
the  little  boy  is  to  see  her,  and  how  his  tongue 


School-days  13 

rattles  as  he  tells  her  all  the  events  of  the  day, 
as  he  rides  home  with  her  through  the  long 
soft  twilight  of  the  soft  Spanish  night!  How 
good  his  supper  tastes,  a  simple  little  supper 
of  chocolate,  rich  and  dark,  white  bread  and 
golden  honey,  with  some  little  iced  cakes, 
which  dear  old  Dolores,  the  cook,  has  made 
for  the  little  master.  All  the  servants  love 
Fernando  dearly,  for  though  he  has  a  hot 
temper,  and  sometimes  is  very  wilful,  he  is 
so  loving  that  they  do  not  mind  his  naughti- 
ness. After  supper  Fernando  says  the  rosary 
with  his  aya,  goes  over  his  lessons  a  little, 
and  then  tumbles  into  bed  in  a  happy  slum- 
ber. 

All  his  days  are  very  much  alike,  for  Span- 
ish children  are  brought  up  very  simply,  and 
have  little  excitement,  though  they  have  many 
pleasures.  There  are  little  visits  paid  to  aunts 
and  cousins,  visits  remembered  not  too  pleas- 
antly by  the  pet  dog  and  parrot  of  his  aunt 


14      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

The  parrot  was  brought  from  Cuba  by  Uncle 
Enrico,  the  priest.  The  bird  knows  Fernando 
well,  and  scolds  terribly  in  most  unchurchly 
language  every  time  he  approaches  the  cage. 
The  French  poodle,  too,  does  not  greatly  care 
for  a  visit  from  Fernando,  for  the  boy  cannot 
help  teasing,  and  the  fat,  stupid  dog,  his  Aunt 
Isabel's  darling,  does  nothing  but  lie  around 
on  silken  cushions  and  eat  comfits.  Fernando 
likes  animals,  and  would  never  really  hurt  one, 
but  there  is  something  in  the  calm  self-satis- 
faction of  Beppino  which  stirs  up  all  the  mis- 
chief in  him,  and  Aunt  Isabel  has  been  heard 
to  exclaim :  "  Fernando  will  be  my  death ! 
He  is  a  dear  boy,  and  if  it  came  to  choosing 
between  him  and  Beppo,  I  am  quite  sure  that 
I  would  take  my  nephew,  but,  thank  Heaven, 
I  have  not  to  choose  !  " 

Fernando's  own  dog  was  different.  He 
found  him  one  day  close  by  the  garden  railing, 
a  poor,  ragged  fellow,  lean  and  hungry,  with  a 


School-days  15 

lame  foot,  but  a  pair  of  pleading  and  wistful 
brown  eyes,  which,  with  all  their  misery,  had 
yet  a  look  of  good-fellowship  within  them 
which  appealed  to  Fernando's  gay  nature,  as 
the  pitiful  plight  of  the  little  fellow  appealed 
to  his  tender  heart.  The  dog  put  a  pink 
tongue  through  the  railing  and  licked  Fernan- 
do's hand,  and  that  clinched  the  bargain. 
Henceforth  the  two  were  friends.  Fernando 
persuaded  Manuel  to  bathe  and  tie  up  the 
wounded  foot,  and  feed  the  puppy.  That 
was  all  the  boy  dared  at  first,  but  the  next  day 
he  found  the  dog  in  the  same  place  and  fed 
him  again.  Every  day  after  that  the  little 
tramp  followed  him  to  school,  and  when  school 
was  over  his  yellow-haired  dogship  awaited  his 
benefactor.  Manuel  winked  at  the  friendship, 
and  allowed  Mazo,  as  Fernando  called  him,  to 
have  many  a  good  meal  at  the  garden  gate. 
Manuel  was  a  great  stickler  for  the  proprieties, 
but  he  had  been  a  boy  once,  and  there  were 


16      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

some  things  that  Fernando's  lady  mother  would 
not  at  all  have  comprehended,  that  good  old 
Manuel  understocd  perfectly.  Mazo  was 
far  more  interesting  to  Fernando  than  the 
thoroughbred,  ladylike  pets  of  his  mother,  and 
it  was  a  sore  subject  with  him  that  Mazo,  who 
was  so  clever,  who  could  whip  the  tramp  dogs 
of  any  of  his  school  friends,  should  be  kept 
outside  the  house.  His  mother  did  not  seem 
to  realize  that  Mazo's  fighting  qualities  were 
what  made  him  valuable.  One  fatal  day,  when 
she  had  driven  to  the  paseo  a  little  earlier  than 
usual,  and  had  seen  a  fight  between  Mazo  and 
another  little  dog,  equally  disreputable,  she 
had  cried  out: 

€f  Fernando,  come  away  from  that  ferocious 
beast !  He  must  be  mad ! "  and  she  had 
seemed  anything  but  reassured  when  Fernando 
had  tried  to  calm  her  by  saying : 

"  But,  mamma,  he  is  not  mad ;  I  know  him 
well ;  he  is  the  gentlest  of  beings,  and  he  can 


School-days  1 7 

whip  any  dog  in  the  paseoy"  the  pride  of  pos- 
session getting  the  better  of  prudence. 

Thereafter  Manuel  was  most  careful  of 
Mazo's  appearance.  He  captured  him  and 
washed  him,  and  let  him  sleep  in  a  shed  at 
night,  and  by  degrees  the  little  fellow  lost  his 
trampish  appearance,  and  became  a  semi-re- 
spectable member  of  society,  though  still  ready 
to  follow  Fernando  like  a  shadow,  to  fight  at 
his  will,  and  to  share  with  him  an  excursion 
into  forbidden  lands.  It  was  really  droll  to 
see  the  different  airs  which  Mazo  could  assume. 
He  had  ever  an  eye  upon  his  audience,  having 
early  learned  in  the  hard  school  of  misfortune 
that  his  comfort  depended  not  at  all  upon  him- 
self, but  upon  the  humour  of  those  about  him. 
With  the  outside  world  his  look  was  wary. 
With  the  family  of  his  master  he  was  apolo- 
getic. His  brown  eye  seemed  to  say :  "  I 
place  myself  at  your  feet,  most  noble  seniors ; 
I  pray  you  excuse  me  for  living."     But  with 


1 8      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

Fernando,  while  it  was  tempered  with  respect, 
his  air  was  one  of  good  -  fellowship  alone. 
Even  the  senora  herself,  the  head  of  the  house 
and  authority  in  chief,  as  is  the  case  in  all 
Spanish  households,  came  to  regard  Fernan- 
do's  dog  with  a  degree  of  friendliness,  and 
finding  this  out,  the  servants  treated  him 
kindly;  and  Mazo  decided  that  his  lines  had 
fallen  in  pleasant  places.  Upon  this,  however, 
he  never  presumed.  He  knew  not  how  long 
it  would  last,  but  felt  that  he  was  upon  good 
behaviour.  He  restrained  his  desire  to  chase 
Juanita's  pet  cat,  and  to  bark  when  the  parrot 
imitated  his  barking,  though  the  restraint  put 
upon  himself  must  have  been  severe,  for  he 
made  up  for  it  when  out  with  Manuel  and  Fer- 
nando. Then  he  was  himself  again,  Mazo  the 
tramp. 


CHAPTER   III. 

A    VISIT    TO    A    HACIENDA 

One  day  in  October,  when  the  sun  was 
shining  in  golden  beauty,  the  senora  said  to 
her  husband : 

"  I  should  like  to  go  to  the  hacienda  to-mor- 
row, and  take  the  children  with  me,  for  la  nina 
has  never  seen  the  picking,  and  Fernando  did 
not  go  last  year  or  the  year  before.'* 

"  It  will  give  me  pleasure  to  escort  you," 
said  the  Senor  de  Guzman,  in  the  courtly 
manner  which  Spanish  gentlemen  use  toward 
their  wives.  "  At  what  hour  will  it  please  you 
to  start  ?" 

"  As  early  as  you  can,"  she  answered.     "  So 

that  we  may  arrive  there  in  plenty  of  time  to 

see  the  picking  before  luncheon,  and  after  a 

19 


20     Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

siesta,  drive  back  in  the  pleasant  part  of  the 
afternoon." 

"We  shall  start  at  nine,  then,"  said  her 
husband,  "  and  should  arrive  there  by  ten  or 
a  little  after." 

When  Fernando  returned  from  school  and 
heard  that  he  was  to  accompany  his  mother 
next  day,  he  was  nearly   beside  himself  with 

j°y- 

"  Juanita,"  he  cried,  "  you  have  no  idea  how 
delightful  it  is  at  the  fruit  farm !  I  have 
not  been  there  for  two  years,  but  I  remember 
it  well.  All  the  oranges  one  can  eat,  and 
such  raisins !  You  will  much  enjoy  it,  I  am 
sure." 

He  was  up  bright  and  early  next  day,  and 
impatient  to  start  long  before  his  mother  was 
ready,  and  even  his  father  was  waiting  before 
the  sefiora  made  her  appearance.  She  was  a 
large  woman,  and  very  slow  and  graceful  in 
her  movements.     No  one  had  ever  seen  her 


A  Visit  to  a  Hacienda         21 

hurried,  and  every  one  expected  to  wait  for 
her,  so  that  it  was  nearly  half-past  nine  when 
they  started.  The  coachman  whipped  up  the 
horses,  and  away  they  went  skimming  over 
the  rough  stones.  Fernando  sat  with  Diego 
and  Manuel  on  the  front  seat  of  the  carriage, 
while  Dolores  sat  beside  the  senora,  holding 
Juanita  on  her  lap.  The  senor  rode  upon  his 
high-stepping  Andalusian  horse  beside  the 
carriage,  and  pointed  out  places  of  interest  to 
the  children  as  they  drove  along. 

A  gay  young  officer  passed  by  them,  young 
and  slim,  riding  a  handsome  horse,  and  some 
soldiers  were  manoeuvring  on  the  Plaza.  One 
poor  fellow,  once  a  gay  soldier,  but  now  with 
an  empty  sleeve,  dressed  in  a  faded  army 
blouse  and  wearing  a  merit  medal,  was  beg- 
ging in  the  street,  and  the  senor  stopped  to 
give  him  a  piece  of  silver,  for  Spaniards  are 
always  generous  and  pitiful,  and  cannot  resist 
a  beggar.     "  He  had  served  in  Cuba,"  said  the 


22      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

sefior  to  his  wife,  and  she  sighed  as  she  thought 
of  the  many  lost  to  Spain  and  their  dear  ones 
in  that  useless  war. 

Fruit-venders  passed  along  the  street,  and 
donkeys  so  laden  with  fruit  and  flowers  that 
almost  nothing  could  be  seen  of  them  but 
their  slim  little  legs  and  their  great  waving 
ears.  Water-carriers  were  there,  carrying  huge 
jars  which  looked  like  those  used  by  the  old 
Moors ;  and  a  travelling  merchant,  in  gray 
garments,  but  with  brightly  dressed  mules. 
It  was  not  so  bright  a  party  that  they  passed 
later,  for  a  peasant  funeral  passed  by  on  its 
way  to  the  cemetery.  Four  young  men  car- 
ried the  bier,  upon  which  was  the  body  of 
a  child,  covered  all  but  its  face,  which  lay 
exposed  to  the  sun. 

Cf  Take  off  your  hat,  son,"  said  the  senora. 
"  Always  do  so  to  a  passing  funeral,  for  maybe 
yours  will  be  the  last  salute  the  dead  will 
receive  on  earth." 


A  Visit  to  a  Hacienda         23 

No  sooner  was  the  funeral  passed  than  there 
came  a  straw  and  charcoal  merchant,  crying, 
"  Paja !  Carbon  !  Cabrito  /  "  So  many  peo- 
ple in  Granada  have  no  way  to  warm  them- 
selves except  by  the  brasero,  in  which  char- 
coal is  burnt,  that  there  is  great  need  for 
the  charcoal  man,  and  he  drives  a  brisk 
trade. 

Next  they  saw  a  priest  on  a  sick  call,  for  he 
bore  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  A  crowd  of 
ragged  urchins  stopped  in  their  play  to  kneel 
as  he  passed,  and  Fernando  and  his  father 
raised  their  hats. 

By  this  time,  the  carriage  had  reached  the 
outskirts  of  the  city,  and  the  road  wound 
along  the  banks  of  the  Darro,  a  rushing 
stream  which  gushes  out  of  a  deep  mountain 
gorge,  and  passes  through  the  town.  Its 
banks  are  lined  with  quaint  old  houses,  lean- 
ing far  over  the  river,  and  Fernando  saw 
women    there,    washing    their    linen    in    the 


24      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

water,  and  spreading  their  clothes  on  the 
stones  to  dry. 

Outside  of  the  town  their  way  lay  along 
the  beautiful  Vega,  which  stretches  beyond 
Granada,  in  green  and  fertile  loveliness,  to  the 
far-away  hills.  Crossed  by  two  rivers,  the 
Darro  and  Genii,  the  plain  is  dotted  with 
whitewashed  villas,  nestling  like  birds  in  the 
soft  green  of  the  olive  and  orange  trees. 
Sloping  gradually  to  the  mountains  above, 
the  Vega  is  green  as  emerald,  and  truly  a 
fair  sight  beneath  the  turquoise  sky,  and 
the  mother-of-pearl  of  the  snowy  moun- 
tains. 

Fernando's  father  owned  large  estates  upon 
the  hillsides,  and  raised  oranges  and  grapes. 
The  last  were  used  for  raisins,  the  grapes  from 
which  the  finest  wine  is  made,  the  Amon- 
tillado,  for  which  Spain  is  so  famous,  not 
reaching  their  greatest  perfection  in  this  part 
of  the  land. 


A  Visit  to  a  Hacienda         25 

In  an  hour  they  reached  the  farm  and  drove 
down  the  long  lane  which  led  to  the  house. 
The  Hacienda  of  Santa  Eulalia  was  a  large,  low 
building,  with  a  broad  porch  and  a  tangle 
of  vines  and  roses  climbing  over  it.  Huge 
trees  spread  their  arms  over  the  roof,  and  from 
the  balcony  one  could  see  groves  of  cypress- 
trees,  pines,  oaks,  and  poplars,  beyond  the 
fruit-trees,  and,  above  all,  the  rose-coloured 
peaks  of  the  Sierras.  Upon  the  slope  of  the 
hill,  as  it  fell  away  toward  Granada,  were  the 
grape-vines,  with  huge  clusters  of  grapes,  pur- 
ple, white,  and  red,  weighing  down  the  vines. 
There  were,  too,  terraces  where  the  raisins 
dried ;  and  nearer  the  house  were  the  drying- 
sheds,  where  an  army  of  packers  pressed 
the  raisins  under  boards,  and  carefully  sorted 
them  before  packing.  The  vineyards  were 
beautiful,  but  even  more  so  were  the  orange 
groves,  and  one  who  has  seen  a  grove  in  full 
fruit  never  forgets  the  beautiful   sight.     The 


26      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

trees  are  deep  green  in  colour,  and  full  of 
leaves,  many  of  them  bearing  at  the  same 
time  flowers  and  green  and  ripe  fruit. 

The  children  were  wild  with  delight,  and 
ran  about  eager  to  see  the  picking  and  sorting 
of  the  fine  fruit,  for  the  oranges  of  Santa 
Eulalia  were  famous  for  size  and  quality. 
The  trees  grew  rather  low  to  the  ground, 
and  were  covered  with  fruit  which  the  pickers 
were  gathering.  Ladders  were  put  up  to  the 
lower  branches,  and  each  picker  carried  a 
basket  swung  to  his  neck  by  a  cord.  He 
carefully  picked  the  oranges,  one  at  a  time, 
and  dropped  them  in  his  basket,  and  so  expert 
were  many  of  them  that  it  seemed  as  if  they 
had  scarcely  mounted  the  ladder  before  the 
basket  was  full.  Many  young  girls  were  em- 
ployed as  pickers,  and  they  were  particularly 
skilful,  vying  with  the  men  in  their  swiftness. 
Very  gay  were  their  voices,  and  merry  jest 
and  song  enlivened  the  work,  until  it  seemed 


A  Visit  to  a  Hacienda         27 

as  if  it  were  not  work  but  play.  Fernando 
and  Juanita  hopped  about  like  little  rabbits, 
eating  the  fruit  which  rolled  to  the  ground, 
for  often  the  golden  globes  fell  from  the  trees, 
as  they  were  shaken  by  the  picking. 

When  the  baskets  were  filled,  the  oranges 
were  carried  to  the  sheds  and  left  overnight  to 
harden  the  skins  a  little,  when  each  orange 
was  wrapped  in  soft  tissue-paper.  For  this 
are  employed  young  boys  and  girls,  and  very 
expert  they  grow  in  the  wrapping  of  the 
oranges,  each  one  being  properly  wrapped  with 
but  a  twist  of  the  hand.  The  next  thing  is 
the  packing,  and  the  oranges  are  stored  away 
in  wooden  boxes,  and  are  ready  to  be  shipped 
to  market. 

The  children  ate  so  many  oranges  that  they 
scarcely  wanted  any  of  the  luncheon  prepared 
for  them  at  the  hacienda.  There  was  an  ome- 
let with  green  peppers,  a  delicious  salad, 
some   fowl,  and  tiny   round    potato  balls,   all 


28      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

sprinkled  over  with  chopped  parsley,  with 
a  huge  dish  of  oranges  and  grapes  for 
dessert. 

The  senora  insisted  upon  a  little  siesta 
after  luncheon,  but  Fernando's  eyes  were  so 
wide  open  that  he  could  not  close  them  as 
he  swung  to  and  fro  in  the  great  hammock 
between  two  orange-trees  in  front  of  the  house. 
He  was  delighted  when  his  father  sat  down 
beside  him,  in  one  of  the  big  easy  chairs, 
and   said : 

"  You  look  to  me  like  a  boy  who  would  like 
to  hear  a  story." 

"  Indeed  I  would ;  please  tell  me  one," 
said  Fernando. 

"  Have  you  ever  heard  about  the  judges 
of  Pedro  the  Cruel  ?  " 

"  No,  papa,"  said  Fernando,  all  interest. 

"  A  long  time  ago,  there  ruled  over  Anda- 
lusia a  king  named  Pedro,  and  he  was  so 
disliked    by  his   subjects,   and   did   so   many 


A  Visit  to  a  Hacienda         29 

wicked  things,  that  he  was  called  Pedro  the 
Cruel.  He  lived  in  the  city  of  Sevilla,  and 
though  he  was  cruel,  and  often  heartless,  still 
he  had  a  strong  sense  of  justice,  which  would 
not  allow  the  common  people  to  be  badly- 
treated.  He  found  out  one  day  that  four 
of  his  judges  had  been  cheating  the  people 
and  taking  bribes,  and  he  determined  to  teach 
them  a  lesson.  He  went  to  his  favourite 
gardens,  those  of  the  Alcazar,  and  sent  for 
the  judges  to  come  to  him  there.  It  is  a 
wonderful  place  even  to-day,  and  then  it  must 
have  been  very  beautiful.  Huge  banana-trees 
waved  their  rough  green  leaves  above  the 
tangled  beauty  of  the  flower-beds,  where  jas- 
mine and  violets  and  roses  grew  in  profusion. 
In  the  midst  was  a  fountain,  and  Don  Pedro 
knelt  beside  it,  smiling  wickedly  as  he  placed 
upon  the  perfumed  waters,  five  oranges  cut 
in  halves,  and  placed  flat-side  down.  The 
reflection  was  so  perfect  that  any  one  would  be 


30      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

deceived,  and  think  they  were  whole  oranges 
floating  upon  the  water. 

cccHow  many  oranges  are  there  here?' 
asked  the  king,  smiling  genially,  and  the 
judges    replied  : 

ff  c  Ten,  may  it  please  your  Gracious  Majesty.' 

" c  Nay,  but  it  does  not  please  my  Gracious 
Majesty  to  have  four  fools  for  judges,'  he  said. 
f  Liars  !  Can  you  not  see  that  there  are  but 
five  ? '  and  he  raised  two  of  the  halves  and  held 
them  together.  c  Know,  oh,  unjust  judges/ 
he  said,  sternly,  c  that  the  king's  servants 
must  see  more  than  the  surface  of  things  if 
they  are  to  conduct  that  portion  of  the  realm 
which  it  is  their  business  to  attend  to,  and  since 
you  cannot  tell  a  half  from  a  whole,  perchance 
that  is  the  reason  of  the  tales  I  hear  of  your 
ill-dealings  with  the  property  of  some  of  my 
subjects  ! ' 

(f  He  ordered  them  to  be  beheaded  and 
their  places   filled   with   better   men,   and   the 


A  Visit  to  a  Hacienda         31 

poor  people  whom  they  had  defrauded  had 
their  property  restored  to  them.  There  are 
many  other  stones  of  King  Pedro  which  are 
not  pleasant  to  tell,  and  it  is  good  to  remember 
that  he  sometimes  did  kind  things." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Fernando.  "  What  is 
the  Alcazar  where  the  gardens  were  ?  " 

"It  is  a  very  remarkable  place,  and  when 
you  go  to  Sevilla  you  will  see  it.  At  first, 
hundreds  of  years  ago,  when  the  Romans 
were  in  Spain,  it  was  the  house  of  Caesar ; 
afterward  the  Moors  turned  it  into  a  fortress, 
and  it  is  a  perfect  example  of  Moorish 
work.  Don  Pedro  rebuilt  it,  and  spent 
a  great  deal  of  money  upon  it,  making  it 
the  most  beautiful  palace  in  all  Spain.  All 
manner  of  things  happened  there,  among 
them  the  murder  of  Don  Pedro's  half-brother, 
Don  Fadrique,  who  he  was  afraid  would  lay 
claim  to  the  throne. 

"  But  here  come  your  mother  and  Juanita, 


32      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

and  I  think  your  rest  time  is  about  over.  Go 
and  play,  and  tell  Manuel  we  return  at  four 
o'clock,  so  you  must  be  on  time." 

So  Fernando  spent  a  delightful  afternoon 
in  the  orange  grove,  and  drove  home  through 
the  cool  twilight,  passing  the  paseo  just  as 
the  band  was  playing  the  Marcha  Real,  the 
national  song,  which  he  hummed  until  he 
went   to   bed. 


riffling 


CHAPTER   IV. 

AT    THE    ALHAMBRA 

cc  Mi  madre  "  cried  Fernando,  rushing  into 
the  house  one  day  in  October,  "  to-day  is  the 
feast-day  of  the  head  master,  and  we  have 
a  holiday.  May  I  have  permission  to  go  to 
the  hill  to  see  Antonio  ?  " 

"  Not  by  yourself,  my  son,"  replied  his 
mother,  and  Fernando  said,  hastily,  "  Oh,  no, 
madre  mia^  Manuel  says  that  he  will  take  me 
if  you  will  permit  me,  and,  if  Juanita's  nurse 
could  be  spared,  we  could  take  the  nina,  as 
she  has  never  been  there,  and  that  would  give 
her  pleasure." 

"  Let  me  see,"  his  mother  paused  a  moment, 

"  the  day  is  fine.     This  morning  I  am  busy, 

but  after  luncheon  I  will  drive  thither  with  the 

33 


34      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

little  one,  and  leave  you  for  an  hour  while 
I  go  on  to  the  villa  of  the  Senora  Sanchez ;  but 
you  must  be  a  good  boy,  and  mind  Manuel.'* 

"Yes,  mother,  and  you  will  see  Antonio, 
whom  I  like  best  of  all  the  boys  at  school," 
said  Fernando,  and  he  hastened  away  to  make 
ready  for  the  great  treat.  A  drive  with  his 
mother  in  school  hours  was  a  pleasure  seldom 
indulged  in,  and  a  visit  to  the  great  hill  which 
crowns  Granada  was  treat  enough,  but  to  take 
Juanita,  —  these  were  things  so  pleasant  that 
he  said  to  himself,  "  I  think  my  guardian 
angel  must  have  whispered  in  my  mother's 
ear  to  give  me  all  this  pleasure." 

It  was  about  two  o'clock  as  they  drove 
through  the  narrow  streets  of  the  city  up 
the  steep  and  hilly  way  which  led  to  the  out- 
skirts of  the  town. 

"  You  are  going  to  see  the  nicest  boy  in 
Granada,  and  the  most  wonderful  castle  in 
Spain,  nina"   said  Fernando  to  Juanita,  and 


At  the  Alhambra  35 

the  two  children  chattered  merrily  as  the  car- 
riage went  slowly  up  the  hill. 

"  Here  is  a  riddle  I  heard  at  school,  nina, 
see  if  you  can  guess  it,  — 

"  '  Guarded  in  a  prison  strait, 
Ivory  gaolers  round  her  wait, 
Venomous  snake  of  sanguine  hue, 
Mother  of  all  the  lies  that  brew  I '" 

"  I  do  not  know,"  said  his  little  sister, 
wonderingly.  She  thought  all  that  Fernando 
said  and  did  was  perfection.  "  What  is  it, 
Nando  ? " 

"Why,  the  tongue,  of  course,"  he  said, 
pleased  to  have  given  a  riddle  which  she  could 
not  guess  ;  and  his  mother  said  : 

"  That  is  a  very  good  riddle,  and  I  hope 
you  will  remember  it,  for  it  is  the  tongue 
which  makes  much  mischief  in  this  world. 
Remember  that  s  a  stone  and  a  word  flung 
do  not  return.' " 

"  There  is  Mazo  following  us,"  said  Juanita, 
and    her    mother    said,    laughingly,    "  Really, 


36      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

Fernando,  I  don't  see  why  you  like  that  dog 
so  much  !     He  is  uglier  than  Picio."  x 

"  He  isn't  handsome,  but  you  have  told  me 
that  handsome  is  as  handsome  does ! "  said 
her  son,  and  his  mother  laughed  again. 

"  Oh,  what  is  that  ?  "  cried  Juanita,  as  the 
carriage  made  a  turn,  and  some  splendid  great 
towers  came  into  view. 

"  That  is  the  Alhambra,"  said  Fernando. 
"  It  is  the  most  wonderful  castle  in  Spain. 
Manuel  said  it  was  begun  in  1238,  in  the 
reign  of  the  Moorish  king,  Ibn-1-Ahmar,  and 
it  was  years  and  years  in  building.  He  says 
the  Moors  used  to  have  the  castle  and  the  city 
of  Granada,  and  I  read  in  my  history  of  how 
the  Catholic  king,  Ferdinand,  came  here  to 
conquer  it.  He  fought  and  fought,  but  the 
Moors  wouldn't  give  it  up.  I  think  they  were 
a  brave  people,  if  they  were  beaten,  don't  you  r  " 

1  Picio  was  a  man  so  ugly  that  his  name  has  passed  into  a 
proverb  in  Spain. 


At  the  Alhambra  37 

"  Yes,  my  son,  they  were  very  brave,  but 
they  did  such  cruel  things  to  the  captives 
they  took,  that  it  is  not  surprising  that  the 
Spaniards  wanted  to  conquer  them, "  said  his 
mother. 

"  They  captured  Christian  girls,  and  forced 
them  to  become  their  wives,  though  what  they 
wanted  with  them  I  cannot  see,  for  they  already 
had  many  wives,  and  I  should  think  one  was 
enough  for  any  man.  Where  shall  we  find 
your  friend,  Fernando?  If  you  wish  I  will 
leave  you  with  him  for  an  hour,  and  continue 
my  drive." 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  mother,  I  knew  you  would 
let  me  stay  ! "  cried  Fernando ;  and  Juanita 
said,  "  Please  leave  me,  too,  mother,  that  I 
may  see  Antonio  and  the  great  palace.,, 

cc  Antonio  lives  within  the  palace,  mamma," 
said  Fernando.  "  He  was  born  there,  and  he 
and  his  sister,  Pepita,  have  never  been  away. 
He  is  to  go  to  the  English  school  at  Gibraltar, 


38      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

but  not  until  he  is  bigger.     May  we  ask  some 
one  where  he  is  ?  " 

"  Certainly.  He  must  be  a  nice  boy  to 
have  lived  always  in  such  a  place,  and  to  have 
you  so  devoted  to  him.  There  is  a  guard ; 
ask  him  where  the  apartments  of  the  boy's 
father  are,"  she  said  to  Manuel,  who  sat 
upon  the  box  with  the  coachman.  Further 
inquiry,  however,  was  not  necessary,  for,  as  the 
carriage  made  its  way  up  the  broad  drive 
shaded  with  magnificent  elm-trees,  which  the 
Duke  of  Wellington  planted,  a  boy  came 
bounding  toward  them. 

"  There  he  is,"  cried  Fernando.  "  Antonio, 
come  here,  we  have  come  to  see  you." 

The  carriage  stopped,  and  Fernando  hopped 
out  as  lightly  as  a  squirrel,  giving  Antonio 
a  good  hug,  for  Spanish  boys  are  never 
ashamed  of  showing  that  they  like  their  friends. 
Antonio's  cap  was  off  in  a  trice  and  he  smiled 
and  bowed  as  Fernando  presented  him  to  his 


At  the  Alhambra  39 

mother  and  little  sister.  Antonio  was  a  hand- 
some boy,  with  eyes  as  dark  and  blue  as  the 
sapphire  of  the  Spanish  skies,  and  fair  hair 
tossed  back  from  an  open  brow.  All  Span- 
iards are  not  dark,  and,  in  Andalusia,  the 
province  in  which  Granada  lies,  there  are 
many  blonds. 

"  I  will  leave  Fernando  and  Juanita  with  you 
for  a  visit,"  said  the  senora,  graciously.  "  Will 
you  bring  them  here  in  an  hour  ?  " 

"  Si>  senora,"  said  Antonio.  "  But  if  you 
would  so  honour  us,  the  sefiora,  my  mother  has 
prepared  a  little  luncheon  in  the  Garden  of 
Lindaraya  at  four  o'clock,  and  she  would  be 
most  happy  if  you  would  partake  of  it  with  us." 

"  Thank  you,  then  I  shall  allow  the  children 
to  remain  with  you  until  that  time  and  I  shall 
myself  prolong  my  visit  with  my  friends  at 
the  villa,"  she  replied.  "When  I  return  I 
shall  do  myself  the  pleasure  of  meeting  your 
mother." 


At  the  Alhambra  41 

ful  because  she  had  been  born  in  a  palace,  and 
her  father  was  custodian  of  the  wonderful 
place,  but  it  was  Antonio  who  claimed  her 
greatest  admiration.  He  was  even  more  mar- 
vellous than  Fernando,  she  almost  thought, 
because  he  was  bigger,  and  his  eyes  had  such  a 
kind  and  merry  look,  and  he  always  carried 
her  over  the  rough  places  in  his  strong  young 
arms,  and  lifted  her  over  the  walls  as  they 
strolled  through  the  gardens. 

She  had  never  seen  such  gardens  as  these  of 
the  Alhambra.  They  were  full  of  the  most 
beautiful  flowers,  and  there  was  the  most  deli- 
cious scent  in  the  air. 

Antonio  told  her  it  was  from  the  wallflowers, 
which  grew  here  in  great  profusion,  and  were 
twice  as  large  as  they  were  in  other  places.  But 
besides  them  there  were  great  trees  of  purple 
heliotrope,  the  blooms  as  large  around  as 
Juanita's  big  hat;  and  geranium-trees,  taller 
than  a  man,  with  orange-trees  in  bloom,  late 


42      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

though  it  was,  and  with  the  ripe  fruit  upon 
their  branches  also. 

Then  the  children  had  a  charming  luncheon 
on  the  grass,  for  Antonio's  mother  set  forth  for 
them  all  manner  of  good  things,  —  a  dainty 
salad  with  some  cold  meat,  thick  chocolate  in 
tiny  cups,  and  cakes  in  the  daintiest  of  shapes. 
What  a  merry  picnic  it  was  beneath  the  shade 
of  the  great  orange-tree  which  Antonio  told 
them  had  been  there  for  over  a  hundred  years, 
and  from  which  the  great  American,  Washing- 
ton Irving,  had  picked  fruit  when  he  lived  at 
the  Alhambra !  Then  when  the  party  was 
over,  and  his  mother  had  not  come,  Fernando 
said : 

cc  Antonio,  tell  us  a  story.  You  know  some 
about  the  castle,  I  am  sure."  And  little 
Juanita  begged,  "  Do  please  tell  us  one,  An- 
tonio," and  as  nobody  could  ever  resist  the 
ninas  wistful,  brown  eyes,  Antonio  smilingly 
began  the  story  of  "  The  Three  Sisters." 


CHAPTER  V. 

antonio's  story 

"  Once  upon  a  time,"  Antonio  began, 
"  there  were  in  the  palace  of  the  Alhambra 
three  princesses  whose  names  were  Zayde, 
Zorayde  and  Zorahayda.  They  were  daugh- 
ters of  the  Sultan,  for  it  was  in  the  days  when 
the  Moors  reigned  in  Granada,  and  there  were 
no  Christians  here  but  captive  Spaniards.  The 
princesses  were  kept  in  a  tower  called  the 
Tower  of  the  Infantas,  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful towers  of  the  Alhambra.  It  was  fitted  up 
in  a  manner  befitting  the  home  of  the  king's 
daughters.  The  walls  of  the  room  were  hung 
with  tapestries  in  cloth  of  gold  and  royal  blue; 
the  divans  were  heaped  high  with  pillows,  the 
pillars  and  arches  which  held  up  the  roof  itself, 

43 


44      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

were  in  filigree  of  softest  hues,  —  blue,  terra- 
cotta, and  gold.  The  Princess  Zayde's  cham- 
ber was  the  richest,  all  in  cloth  of  gold,  since 
she  was  the  eldest  Infanta ;  that  of  Zorayde 
was  hung  with  steel  mirrors,  burnished  bright, 
for  she  was  most  fair  to  look  upon  and  loved 
to  look  upon  herself;  while  that  of  the  young- 
est, little  brown-eyed  Princess  Zorahayda,  was 
delicate  in  tone,  as  if  some  rare  jewel  lay  in 
a  dainty  casket.  Upon  the  princesses  waited 
the  discreet  Kadiga,  an  elderly  duenna  who 
never  let  them  from  her  sight  for  a  moment. 
She  watched  them  as  a  cat  does  a  mouse,  but 
there  was  one  thing  she  could  not  control,  and 
that  was  the  eyes  of  the  princesses.  They 
would  look  forth  from  the  windows,  and,  in- 
deed, this  Kadiga  never  forbade,  for  it  seemed 
to  her  a  pity  that  three  such  fair  maidens 
should  have  so  little  amusement,  and  she 
thought  it  could  not  possibly  hurt  them  to 
gaze  into  the  gardens  below. 


Antonio's  Story  45 

"  One  day,  while  the  princesses  were  looking 
out  the  narrow  windows,  they  saw  something 
which  made  them  look  and  look  again.  Yes,  it 
was  true,  —  could  it  be  ?  it  was  !  They  were 
the  very  same  —  the  three  Christian  princes 
whom  they  had  seen  at  Salobrena;  but  here 
they  were  labouring  as  captives.  At  the  tour- 
ney to  which  the  princesses  had  been  taken, 
they  had  seen  these  noble  knights,  and  had 
fallen  in  love  with  them,  and  it  was  for  this  that 
their  father  had  shut  them  up  in  a  tower,  for  he 
had  said  no  daughter  of  his  should  marry  a 
Christian. 

"  But  the  knights  thought  differently,  and 
they  had  come  to  Granada  in  the  hope  of  find- 
ing their  princesses,  and  had  been  taken  cap- 
tive and  were  compelled  to  hard  labour. 

"  c  It  is  he  ! '  cried  Zayde.  c  The  knight 
with  the  scarlet  tunic  is  the  one  I  saw ! ' 

" c  Yes,  but  the  one  in  blue,  he  is  mine ! ' 
cried  Zorayde. 


46      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

"  Little  Zorahayda  said  nothing,  but  she 
looked  with  all  her  eyes  at  the  third  knight. 
And  this  was  not  the  last  time  she  saw  him, 
for  the  knights  had  come  thither,  bent  on 
rescuing  the  maidens,  and  had  bribed  their 
jailer  to  help  them  to  escape.  So  one  moon- 
light night,  when  the  moon  was  turning  into 
silver  beauty  the  orange-trees  of  the  garden, 
and  shining  in  fullest  light  into  the  deep 
ravine  below  the  Tower  of  the  Infantas,  the 
knights  awaited  their  lady-loves  in  the  valley 
below,  and  Kadiga  let  them  down  by  a  rope- 
ladder. 

"  All  escaped  in  safety  but  little  Zorahayda, 
and  she  feared  to  go. 

" c  Leave  me,'  she  cried.  c  I  must  not 
leave  my  father ! '  and  at  last,  since  they  could 
not  persuade  her  to  go,  they  rode  sadly  away 
without  her,  and  her  little  white  hand  waved  a 
sad  farewell  to  them  from  the  window.  There 
she  still  is,  so  say  the  legends,  and  there  are 


Antonio's  Story  47 

those  who,  walking  in  these  gardens  at  mid- 
night, tell  that  they  have  seen  a  white  hand 
wave  from  the  tower  window,  and  a  voice 
whisper  through  the  murmur  of  the  fountains, 
'Ay  de  mi  Zorahayda  I ' " 

"  Oh,  Antonio  !  hast  thou  seen  her  ?  "  cried 
Juanita,  and  her  brother  laughed,  and  said : 

"  Little  foolish  one,  it  is  but  a  story  !  But 
Antonio,  tell  us  a  tale  of  battle,  for  this  is  but 
a  woman's  story,  and  there  have  been  splendid 
deeds  done  in  this  old  castle.,, 

"  Splendid  ones,  and  sorry  ones  as  well,,, 
said  Antonio,  who  was  old  for  his  twelve 
years,  and  had  lived  so  long  in  the  atmosphere 
of  romance  that  he  seemed  a  part  of  it,  in 
speech  and  manners.  "Shall  I  tell  you  of  the 
taking  of  the  Alhambra  from  the  Moors  ?  It 
was  a  glorious  fight,  and  both  sides  were  brave 
men." 

Then  he  told  them  of  the  conquest  of 
Granada,  when   Christian    knight   and    Moor 


48      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

fought  valiantly  for  the  possession  of  the 
splendid  city,  with  its  gem,  the  Alhambra.  He 
told  of  how  the  noble  knight,  Juan  de  Vega, 
was  sent  to  demand  tribute  from  Muley  ben 
Hassan,  King  of  Granada,  and  that  fierce  old 
monarch  said : 

"  Return  to  your  sovereigns,  O  Spaniard, 
and  tell  them  that  the  kings  of  Granada  who 
paid  tribute  are  all  dead.  My  mint  coins  only 
swords  ! "  Brave  words,  but  it  was  his  son, 
Boabdil  the  Unlucky,  who  was  forced  to  sur- 
render the  castle  to  the  victorious  enemy,  and 
who  handed  the  keys  to  the  Spaniards,  as  he 
rode  through  the  gate  of  the  Siete  Suelos, 
saying :  "  Go,  possess  these  fortresses  which 
Allah  has  taken  from  me,  but  grant  me  this 
one  boon,  that  none  other  shall  pass  under 
this  gateway  from  which  I  have  come  out." 
And  Ferdinand  granted  his  request  and  walled 
up  the  gate,  so  that,  from  that  day  to  this,  no 
one  has  passed  through  that  entrance. 


Antonio's  Story  49 

These  and  other  tales  Antonio  told  them, 
and  the  afternoon  passed  so  quickly  that  the 
children  were  surprised  when  their  mother's 
voice  warned  them  that  it  was  time  to  go 
home. 

"  Oh,  mamma,"  they  cried,  "  must  we  go  ?  " 
and  the  senora  smilingly  waited  a  little,  chatting 
with  Antonio's  mother,  while  he  picked  a 
huge  bunch  of  flowers  for  the  children  to 
carry  away  with  them.  Then  the  good-byes 
were  said,  and  they  drove  away  crying  : 

"  Come  soon  to  see  us,  Antonio."  To 
which  he  replied,  in  pleasant  Spanish  fashion : 

"  Thank  you  well,  and  very  much  for  your 
visit  !  " 

"  Isn't  he  a  nice  boy  ?  "  said  Juanita. 

"  Quite  a  little  Don,"  her  mother  answered, 
smiling.  "  Fernando,  I  am  glad  to  see  that 
you  have  the  sense  to  choose  your  friends  so 
well,"  and  Fernando  grinned,  boylike,  well 
pleased. 


50      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

"  Oh,  who  is  that  ? "  Juanita  asked,  as  a 
fantastic  figure  approached. 

"  That  is  the  gipsy  king,"  said  her  mother. 
"You  know  the  gipsies  live  all  huddled  to- 
gether there,  below  the  Alhambra,  and  they 
have  a  chief  whom  they  call  king.  They  are 
a  lazy  set,  doing  little  but  thieving  and  telling 
fortunes.  They  live  in  little  burrows,  like 
rabbits,  set  into  the  hillsides,  and  there  are  pigs, 
goats,  and  dogs  all  living  together  with  the 
people." 

"  That  girl  with  the  king  is  very  pretty," 
said  Fernando,  £C  with  her  black  hair  and  eyes, 
and  her  bright  skirts,  and  the  pomegranate 
flower  behind  her  ear." 

"  The  pomegranate  is  the  flower  of  Gra- 
nada, you  know,"  said  his  mother,  "and 
it  does  look  pretty  in  her  dark  hair.  Hear 
her  call  her  dogs !  Gipsy  dogs  are  all  named 
Melampo,  Cubilon,  or  Lubina,  after  the  shep- 
herd   dogs  who  followed  the  shepherds,  and 


Antonio's  Story  51 

saw  our  Lord  at  Bethlehem.  Ah,  Juanita, 
;  Jesus,  Maria  y  Jose ! '  You  must  not 
sneeze !  Drive  faster,  Diego,  and  Dolores, 
wrap  the  baby  in  that  Palencian  blanket,  so 
soft  and  warm.  The  nights  grow  cool  quickly 
at  this  time  of  year." 

"  Why  do  we  always  say  c  Jesus,  Maria  y 
JoseT  when  people  sneeze?"   asked  Fernando. 

"  It  has  been  the  custom  so  long  that  peo- 
ple have  almost  forgotten  why  it  is  done,"  re- 
plied his  mother ;  "  but  I  remember  my  grand- 
mother saying  once  that  her  mother  told  her 
the  reason.  Years  and  years  ago,  in  1580, 
there  was  in  all  Andalusia  a  terrible  plague 
called  the  mosquillo.  People  sneezed  once,  and 
lo  !  they  had  the  plague,  and  little  could  save 
them,  though  some  few  recovered.  So  it 
grew  to  be  the  custom,  when  one  sneezed,  for 
those  who  heard  him  to  look  pityingly  upon 
him  and  say,  c  Dios  le  ayudej  '  or  call  upon  the 

1 "  God  help  him." 


52      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

holy  names  to  help  him,  saying, c  Jesus,  Maria 
y  Jose, 

"  See  that  ragged  beggar,  mamma,"  said 
Juanita.  "  May  we  not  give  him  some- 
thing ?  "  as  a  little  boy  came  hopping  along 
beside  the  carriage,  crying,  lustily : 

"  Una  limosna  por  el  amor  de  Dios> 2  sen  or  a  !  " 
"  I  have  no  centimos" 3  said  the  senora, 
"  and  it  is  not  wise  to  give  more  to  a  beggar, 
but  you  can  always  give  politeness,  nina,  and 
when  you  have  no  money  say,  c Perdoneme, 
usted]  4  or, c  Por  el  amor  de  DiosJ  5  and  thus  you 
will  not  give  offence  to  God's  poor." 

1  "  Jesus,  Mary,  and  Joseph." 

2  "  An  alms  for  the  love  of  God."         3  Coppers. 

*  "  Pardon  me,  your  Grace."        s  "  For  the  love  of  God." 


CHAPTER   VI. 

THE    HOLIDAYS 

Fernando  had  been  three  months  in  school 
and  was  beginning  to  grow  tired,  when  it  came 
time  for  the  feast  of  Christmas,  and  he  was  very 
happy  in  the  thought  of  all  he  was  to  do  and 
see  during  his  holiday.  He  and  Juanita  were 
very  much  excited  in  preparing  their  nacimiento^ 
which  nearly  every  Spanish  child  has  at  Christ- 
mas time.  This  is  a  plaster  representation  of 
the  birth  of  Christ.  There  are  in  it  many  fig- 
ures, a  manger  surrounded  with  greens,  the 
Baby  Our  Lord,  St.  Joseph,  and  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  the  Wise  Men  worshipping  the  Holy 
Child,  and  angels  hovering  near,  as  well  as  the 
patient  ox  and  ass  who  were  his  first  worship- 
pers.    Juanita   was    wild   with    excitement   as 

53 


54      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

these  were  all  grouped  and  set  in  place.  She 
was  only  four  and  did  not  well  remember  the 
Christmas  before,  so  that  it  was  all  new  to 
her. 

Christmas  Eve  there  was  a  grand  family 
party,  all  the  relatives  coming  to  the  home  of 
Fernando  and  partaking  of  a  supper  of  sweet- 
meats and  wine.  In  the  morning  there  was,  of 
course,  early  Mass  in  the  great  cathedral, 
where  the  choir  sang  divinely.  It  started  way 
up  in  the  loft  to  sing  the  Adeste  Fideles,  the 
Church's  Christmas  hymn  for  centuries,  slowly 
coming  nearer  and  nearer ;  and  Juanita  thought 
it  was  an  angel  choir  until  she  saw  it  come  into 
sight  and  the  glorious  voices  rolled  forth  in  a 
volume  of  song. 

Then  the  children  had  breakfast  and  they 
made  their  aguinaldo,  for  every  servant  on  the 
place  expected  a  present  as  surely  as  did  the 
old  darkies  of  Southern  days.  The  postman, 
the  errand  boy,  the  porter,  the  sereno  who  walks 


The  Holidays  55 

the  street  all  night  with  his  lantern,  trying 
your  door  to  see  if  it  is  locked  properly,  and 
assuring  you  that  all  is  well  as  the  hours 
strike,  —  all  must  be  remembered.  Then  the 
senora  took  the  carriage,  and  the  children 
accompanied  her,  as  she  filled  it  with  sweet- 
meats for  the  poor  children  and  such  of  her 
special  proteges  as  could  not  come  to  the 
house  for  their  aguinaldo. 

It  was  a  cold  day,  for  Granada  grows  cold  in 
the  winter  time,  and  is  not  like  other  Spanish 
cities,  which  have  summer  all  the  year.  The 
wind  sweeps  down  from  the  Sierras  and  brings 
with  it  a  blustering  hint  of  mountain  snows ; 
and  as  the  houses  have  no  furnaces  and  seldom 
good  stoves  to  heat  them,  even  the  rich  can 
suffer,  and  the  poor  do  suffer  bitterly. 

While  the  sun  shines  it  matters  not,  for  the 
sun  of  Andalusia  is  so  warm  and  bright  that  it 
blesses  all  who  lie  beneath  it;  but  when  the 
dark  days  come  or  evening's  mantle  falls  upon 


56      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

the  town,  people  hover  close  about  the  brazero 
and  long  for  summer. 

With  Fernando  it  mattered  little,  for  he  was 
seldom  still  enough  to  be  cold,  and  he  spent  a 
merry  Christmas,  falling  asleep  to  dream  of 
delightful  things,  and  waking  to  the  happy 
thought  that  it  would  soon  be  the  feast  of  the 
Circumcision.  This  is  New  Year's  Day,  and 
is  celebrated  with  much  festivity  in  Spain.  The 
evening  before  there  is  a  grand  party  for  the 
grown-ups,  and  slips  of  paper  are  passed 
around,  one  being  drawn  by  each  person. 
They  are  in  pairs,  so  that  the  one  who  draws 
number  one  must  go  to  supper  with  number 
one,  and  great  merriment  is  made  over  the  pair- 
ing off  of  the  guests.  The  gentleman  has  to 
send  a  bunch  of  flowers  or  sweets  to  the  lady 
whose  number  he  draws,  and  not  a  few  matches 
have  been  made  in  Spain  by  this  merry  cus- 
tom. 

Fernando  and  Juanita,  however,  were  quite 


The  Holidays  57 

otherwise  engaged.  They  were  sent  early  to 
bed  and  were  dreaming  of  the  sugar-plums  of 
the  morrow,  wondering  whom  they  would  first 
meet,  for  they  think  in  Spain  that  what  hap- 
pens to  you  on  New  Year's  Day  will  determine 
the  course  of  the  whole  year.  If  you  meet  a 
pauper  you  will  have  bad  luck,  but  if  you  see 
a  man  with  gold  in  his  pocket,  you  will  have 
money  all  the  year. 

Merrier  still  was  the  feast  of  the  Three 
Kings,  which  is  the  day  upon  which  little 
Spanish  children  have  gifts  made  them  as 
American  children  do  at  Christmas.  This  is 
in  honour  of  the  Wise  Men  having  brought 
presents  to  Our  Lord  on  that  day,  so  that  on 
the  eve  of  January  sixth,  the  feast  of  the 
Epiphany,  Fernando  and  Juanita  set  their  little 
shoes  on  their  balcony  with  a  wisp  of  straw  to 
feed  the  Magi's  horses,  and  with  many  sur- 
mises as  to  what  they  would  find  in  them  on 
the    morrow.     What   wonderful    things    there 


58      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

were !  Fernando  had  all  the  things  that  boys 
love,  —  tops,  marbles,  balls,  and  a  fine  knife ; 
while  Juanita  had  a  wonderful  dolly  and  all 
manner  of  dainty  things  for  her  to  wear. 
"  The  Three  Kings  never  make  one  feel  like 
the  governor  of  Cartagena/"  said  Fernando,  as 
he  tossed  his  new  ball  and  lovingly  fingered  his 
knife. 

"  But  there  is  still  another  gift  for  thee  and 
thy  sister,"  said  his  father,  and  he  led  them 
to  the  door.  There  stood  a  wonderful  little 
donkey,  his  bridle  decorated  with  streaming 
ribbons  and  bells,  his  kind  eyes  blinking  as  he 
turned  his  head  and  seemed  to  say,  "  Hello, 
Little  Master,  are  you  and  I  going  to  be  great 
friends  ? " 

"  Oh,  papa,  is  that  for  us  ?  "  cried  Fernando, 
while  Juanita  clapped  her  tiny  hands  with  de- 
light. It  took  Fernando  but  a  moment  to 
spring  on  the  donkey's  back,  but  his  mother 
cried,  warningly : 


The  Holidays  59 

ci  Be  careful,  son  !  Remember  how  the  little 
Prince  of  Granada  rode  too  fast  through  the 
streets,  and  fell  from  his  pony  and  was  killed." 

"  Have  no  fear,"  her  husband  said,  smiling, 
"  the  donkey  will  not  go  fast  enough  to  hurt 
him ;  that  is  why  I  selected  him."  And 
he  placed  Juanita  up  behind  her  brother,  bid- 
ding Manuel  walk  beside  them,  while  Mazo, 
unbidden,  jumped  around. 

Everything  else  that  Fernando  had  sank 
into  insignificance  when  compared  to  the  little 
donkey,  which  he  named  Babieca,  and  which  he 
and  Juanita  rode  whenever  they  had  a  chance. 
Babieca  was  a  kind  little  beast,  though  some- 
thing of  a  rogue.  He  seemed  to  know  that  he 
must  play  no  tricks  when  Juanita  rode  him,  and 
he  behaved  himself  well ;  but  when  Fernando 
rode,  it  was  quite  another  matter.  Babieca 
would  prick  up  his  long  ears  and  go  along 
quietly,  then  stop  suddenly  without  saying  "  by 
your  leave,"  and,  of  course,  Fernando  would 


60        Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

go  over  his  head.  He  would  not  hurt  himself 
at  all,  and  the  naughty  little  mule  would  look 
at  him  wonderingly  as  if  to  say :  "  Now  what 
on  earth  are  you  doing  down  there  ? "  Fer- 
nando soon  grew  to  expect  such  antics  and  was 
on  the  lookout  for  them. 

When  St.  Anthony's  Day  came,  of  course 
Babieca  had  to  go  with  the  other  four-footed 
friends  of  the  saint,  to  be  blessed  and  insured 
from  all  harm  through  the  year.  The  seven- 
teenth of  January  is  the  day  of  St.  Anthony,  pa- 
tron of  mules,  horses,  and  donkeys,  and  a  grand 
parade  took  place.  All  the  people  of  the  town 
who  had  such  animals  drove  them  down  to  the 
church  to  be  blessed  and  to  get  a  barley  wafer. 
Many  of  the  animals  were  gaily  decorated  with 
streamers  and  ribbons,  and  some  with  flowers  ; 
and  all  along  the  streets  small  booths  were  set 
up  containing  little  images  of  St.  Anthony  and 
barley  cakes.  Babieca  behaved  very  well  at  his 
blessing,  though  his  refractory  tongue  did  try 


"  ALL  THE  PEOPLE  OF  THE  TOWN  WHO  HAD  SUCH 
ANIMALS  DROVE  THEM  DOWN  TO  THE  CHURCH  TO 
BE    BLESSED." 


The  Holidays  61 

to  nibble  the  priests  stole ;  but  some  of  the 
horses  kicked  and  neighed,  and,  with  the  bray- 
ing of  the  many  donkeys  and  mules,  there 
was  a  din  not  often  heard  in  staid  Granada. 

There  were  no  more  fetes  for  the  time  being, 
and  Fernando,  a  trifle  spoiled  by  all  the  gaiety, 
had  to  return  to  his  studies  again.  It  was  a 
long  month  before  carnival  time,  but  his 
thoughts  went  forward  to  that  delightful  sea- 
son, and  it  seemed  to  the  little  boy  as  if  it 
would  never  come.  However,  as  "  all  things 
come  to  him  who  will  but  wait,"  the  great  day 
arrived  at  last,  and  Fernando  was  wild  with  joy. 
Carnival  time  is  just  before  the  beginning  of 
Lent,  and  is  a  season  of  great  merriment. 
Under  a  turquoise  sky,  with  no  clouds  to  mar 
its  fairness,  there  is  a  pageant  almost  like  those 
of  the  days  of  chivalry,  and  Fernando  and 
Juanita,  attended  by  their  faithful  Manuel  and 
Dolores,  saw  it  all.  Fernando  dressed  as  a 
page,  and  his  sister  as  a  court  lady  of  the  days 


62      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

of  Isabella  the  Catholic,  and  they  were  masked, 
as  are  all  the  people  who  throng  the  streets  on 
these  gay  days. 

Sunday,  Monday,  and  Tuesday  the  carnival 
continues,  each  year,  and  the  children  are  asked 
to  little  dances  at  the  houses  of  friends,  and 
also  to  hear  student  choirs  sing  and  to  see 
plays.  But  what  they  most  enjoy  is  mingling 
in  the  crowds  upon  the  paseo,  throwing  con- 
fetti at  those  who  throw  at  them,  seeing  the 
flower-decked  carriages,  the  wonderful  cos- 
tumes ;  monks,  nuns,  generals,  court  ladies, 
flowers,  animals,  all  are  represented,  —  all  are 
laughing  and  throwing  confetti  right  and  left. 
Children  are  selling  confetti,  crying  shrilly, 
"  Confetti,  five  centimos  a  packet.  Showers 
of  a  million  colours  !  Only  a  perro  Chico  !  "  ' 
Ah,  how  gay  and  delightful  it  all  is  !  Juanita 
saw   much,   and    Dolores  lay  down  at  night 

1  Perro  Chico,  little  dog,  name  given  to  a  ftve-eentimo  piece 
because  of  the  little  lion  upon  it. 


The  Holidays  63 

thanking  the  saints  that  carnival  lasted  but 
three  days  !  But  Fernando  saw  everything, 
and  poor  Manuel's  legs  were  weary  as  he  kept 
pace  with  his  little  master,  now  here,  now 
there,  now  everywhere,  laughing  and  jesting, 
the  merriest  lad  in  all  the  carnival. 

Alas,  it  was  all  over !  Ash  Wednesday 
dawned,  dull  and  heavy,  the  weather  as  sad 
and  sorry  as  the  day.  Fernando  dragged  him- 
self to  church,  where  his  brow  was  marked 
with  ashes  according  to  custom,  and  gazed 
longingly  at  the  Entierro  de  la  sardina,  a  bit 
of  pork  the  size  and  shape  of  a  sardine,  buried 
to  show  that  the  fast  had  begun,  for  no  one 
in  Spain  eats  meat  on  Ash  Wednesday,  and 
very  little  of  it  in  Lent. 

Fernando  looked  so  depressed  at  supper 
that  his  mother  asked  him : 

"  What  is  the  trouble,  little  son,  are  you  ill  ?  " 

"  No,  mamma,"  he  said.  "  But  it  is  so  long 
till  Easter." 


64      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

"  Not  if  you  do  not  think  about  it,"  said 
his  mother  with  a  smile.  "  Do  your  work 
with  a  will,  and  the  days  will  pass  quickly. 
If  you  are  a  good  boy,  you  shall  have  a  treat 
at  Easter." 

"  Oh,  what  will  that  be,"  he  asked,  and 
Juanita  cried,  eagerly,  "  Shall  I  have  it,  too  ?  " 

"  Both  of  you,"  the  mother  said.  "  Your 
father  is  going  to  take  us  to  Sevilla,  to  see  the 
grand  Easter  festival,  and  we  shall  see  your 
brother  and  sister  as  well,  and  your  cousins 
and  your  Aunt  Isabella,  so  you  must  be 
good  children." 

"  Indeed  we  will,"  cried  both,  joyously,  at 
the  thought  of  so  much  pleasure. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

EASTER    IN    SEVILLA 

Easter  in  Sevilla !  What  a  gay  and 
charming  time  it  is  !  Flowers  are  everywhere, 
blooming  in  beauty,  and  all  the  people  seem 
joyous  in  the  thought  that  the  long  season 
of  fasting  is  over. 

Fernando   and    Juanita   had   arrived  in  the 

city  on  the  Saturday  before  Palm  Sunday,  and 

were  wild  with  delight  at  seeing  their  cousins, 

Mariquita,  Pepita,  and  Angel,  and  in  looking 

forward  to  the  delights  of  the  week's  holiday 

with  its  processions  and  fetes.      Beginning  with 

the    beautiful    Procession    of    the    Palms,    on 

Palm    Sunday,   all   through    Holy   Week    are 

processions  and  celebrations,  and  the  little  folk 

thoroughly  enjoy  them. 

65 


66      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

Their  older  brother  and  sister  were  there, 
also,  and  full  of  wonderful  tales  of  what  they 
had  done  at  school.  Fernando  thought  Pablo 
was  a  wonderful  being,  and  that  everything  he 
did  was  perfect.  He  could  hardly  wait  until 
he  himself  would  be  big  enough  to  go  away 
to  college ;  and  little  Juanita  felt  quite  the 
same  way  about  Augustia,  who  had  learned 
many  things  in  the  convent. 

"Indeed,  nina"  she  said,  "it  is  pleasant 
at  school  with  the  girls,  but  that  Mother  Jus- 
tina  makes  one  work  so  hard,  and  that  the 
play-hours  are  few.  I  have  embroidery  to 
make,  and  lessons  to  say,  and  my  class  learns 
French  as  well  as  Castilian.  But  the  other 
girls  are  charming.  Most  of  all  I  like  Paquita 
de  Guiteras,  an  Americana,  at  least  she  comes 
from  the  Island  of  Cuba,  and  the  girls  say 
that  she  is  an  Indian,  and  that  her  mother  was 
an  Indian  princess  married  to  her  father,  a 
noble   Spaniard.     Of  this   I   cannot  say,  and 


Easter  in  Sevilla  67 

she  herself  does  not  relate,  but  she  says  that 
in  Cuba  the  Spaniards  have  often  married  the 
Indians  and  have  been  kind  to  them,  and  have 
not  destroyed  them  as  have  the  Americanos 
in  the  Estados  Unidos.  Well,  nina,  Paquita 
is  the  merriest  of  girls  !  She  has  always  some 
prank  to  play  upon  some  one,  and,  indeed, 
she  cares  not  if  it  is  the  Mother  Superior 
herself,  so  she  can  have  her  joke.  Her  aunt, 
good  Sister  Mercedes,  is  always  fretting  for 
fear  lest  Paquita  should  be  in  disgrace,  but  it 
worries  Paquita  not  at  all.  One  night  she  did 
the  funniest  thing.  There  is  one  girl  who 
is  very  mean  to  the  little  ones,  always  teasing 
them,  and  they  dare  say  nothing,  as  she  is 
the  niece  of  the  Mother  Superior,  and  she 
believes  nothing  against  her.  This  Teresa 
Alcantara  once  found  a  little  girl,  and  teased 
her  until  Paquita  could  stand  it  no  longer,  and 
flew  at  Teresa  and  bit  her  hand.  Sister  turned 
at  that  moment  and  saw  the  bite,  but  she  had 


68      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

not  seen  what  had  gone  before,  and  would  not 
listen  to  what  I  tried  to  tell  her,  and  Paquita 
is  always  too  proud  to  try  to  make  excuses, 
and  just  looked  at  Sister  so  fiercely  from 
her  great  black  eyes  that  the  Sister  was  still 
more  displeased. 

"cThou  art  but  a  savage  wildcat,*  she  said, 
and  took  her  to  Mother  Superior  for  punish- 
ment. She  could  not  have  any  playtime  for 
a  whole  week,  and  she  would  have  to  apolo- 
gize to  Teresa,  too,  and  I  think  she  hated  that 
the  worst  of  anything.  But  she  got  even  with 
her,  as  you  shall  hear.  She  found  out  that 
Teresa  was  terribly  afraid  of  cats,  and  one 
night,  when  we  were  all  safely  tucked  away 
in  our  little  beds,  there  came  from  behind 
Teresa's  curtains  a  terrible  scream,  and  she 
jumped  out  of  bed  and  rushed  up  and  down 
the  dormitory.  Such  a  breach  of  decorum 
was  never  seen  before,  and  the  nuns  were 
shocked  to  a  degree.     Teresa  kept  shrieking, 


Easter  in  Sevilla  69 

c  A  wild  beast  is  in  my  bed !  a  wild  beast  is  in 
my  bed  ! '  and  after  calming  her  down  they 
went  to  investigate.  What  do  you  think  they 
found?  A  feather  duster!  It  was  tucked 
under  the  sheets,  and  who  could  have  put  it 
there  ?  No  one  knew,  but  every  one  felt  that 
Paquita  was  the  only  one  who  could  have 
thought  of  such  mischief.  But  the  sisters 
did  not  try  to  find  out,  for  one  of  them  had 
seen  Teresa  teasing  the  little  girl,  and  knew 
why  Paquita  disliked  her  so  much  ;  and  after 
that  the  big  bully  let  us  little  ones  alone." 

"  Oh,  it  must  be  so  nice,"  sighed  Juanita, 
but  Pablo  laughed,  and  said  that  those  were 
girl's  stories,  and  that  far  more  exciting  things 
happened  at  the  naval  college,  especially  when 
they  all  went  on  a  cruise. 

On  Easter  Sunday  morning  the  children 
went  to  the  cathedral  to  see  the  wonderful 
dances  which  take  place  but  three  times  a 
year.      Fernando    and    Juanita    were    struck 


70      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

dumb  with  the  beautiful  cathedral,  so  unlike 
the  Gothic  one  of  Granada ;  for  this  one  at 
Sevilla  is  a  Saracenic  church,  built  hundreds 
of  years  ago,  begun  by  the  Moorish  Sultan, 
Yakub  al  Mansour,  in  1 1 84. 

How  strange  it  seemed  to  see  dancing  in 
church !  Fernando  and  Juanita  sat  beside 
their  mother,  on  their  little  camp-stools,  for 
there  are  no  pews  in  Spanish  churches.  The 
whole  centre  of  the  church  is  empty,  and  peo- 
ple kneel  there  during  the  mass,  or  if  they  are 
too  tired  or  too  little  to  stand,  they  rent  camp- 
stools  for  half  a  cent,  and  an  old  woman  who 
has  them  in  charge  hobbles  along  with  a  stool, 
which  they  may  keep  while  the  service  lasts. 

The  men  generally  stand,  and  it  is  interest- 
ing to  see  them  settle  themselves  in  a  com- 
fortable position  when  the  sermon  begins,  and 
stand  there  almost  without  moving  while  the 
preacher  speaks,  sometimes  a  half-hour,  some- 
times a  whole  hour.     But  the  hearers  do  not 


"THEIR    BODIES     SWAYED     TO    AND    FRO    IN     TIME    TO    THE 
MUSIC." 


Easter  in  Sevilla  71 

seem  to  mind,  for  these    Spanish  monks  are 
very  fine  preachers. 

As  the  children  gazed  at  the  beautiful  altar 
covered  with  flowers,  there  came  the  sound 
of  music,  —  violins,  flutes,  flageolets,  and  haut- 
boys all  making  a  quaint  harmony, —  and  with 
the  music  was  mingled  the  sound  of  youthful 
voices,  fresh  and  sweet,  and  a  band  of  boys 
entered  the  chancel,  and  gliding  down  the 
altar  steps  danced  quietly,  singing  as  they 
danced.  Their  bodies  swayed  to  and  fro  in 
time  to  the  music,  at  first  slowly,  then,  as 
the  time  quickened,  castanets  click-clicked  with 
the  other  sounds,  and  the  boys  moved  faster 
and  faster,  still  in  perfect  time,  yet  not  with 
wild  abandon,  but  rather  with  dignified  respect 
for  the  place.  They  were  quaintly  dressed 
in  the  court  costumes  of  the  Middle  Ages ;  on 
their  rfcads  were  big  Spanish  hats,  turned  up 
at  one  side  with  a  sweeping  blue  feather,  a 
mantle  of  light  blue  was  over  one  shoulder, 


72      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

their  vests  were  of  white  satin,  their  hose 
and  shoes  of  white.  The  boys  danced  on 
until  the  great  bells  of  the  Giralda  rang  out, 
and  then  they  vanished,  the  music  grow- 
ing softer  and  softer,  until  its  last  strains 
sounded  far  away,  like  a  floating  wave  of 
heavenly  harmony. 

"  How  pretty  the  dance  was,"  said  little 
Juanita,  as  they  walked  home  from  the  service. 
"  Why  do  they  dance  in  church  ?  " 

"The  Holy  Scriptures  say  that  David  danced 
before  the  Lord,"  her  mother  answered,  "  so 
perhaps, that  is  the  reason  the  Sevillians  think 
this  is  a  form  of  worship,  but  you  must  ask 
your  cousins  to  tell  you  how  it  was  first  done." 

"  Do  tell  me,  Mariquita,"  said  the  little  girl, 
and  her  cousin  said,  "  I  do  not  know  how  it 
happened  at  first,  but  it  has  been  done  ever 
since  the  Moors  were  here  in  Sevilla.  Only 
once  in  hundreds  of  years  has  it  been  stopped, 
and  then  an  archbishop  said  it  was  not  right  to 


Easter  in  Sevilla  73 

have  dancing  in  church.  He  made  every  one 
very  angry,  for  the  people  said,  '  What  our 
fathers  did  is  good  enough  for  us  ! '  So  they 
went  to  the  Pope,  and  he  said  that  he  could 
not  tell  unless  he  saw  the  dance.  So  the  boys 
and  the  musicians  were  taken  to  Rome,  and 
there  danced  before  the  Holy  Father,  who 
said,  c  I  see  no  harm  in  this,  any  more  than  in 
the  children's  hosannas  before  Our  Lord  when 
He  entered  Jerusalem.  Let  them  have  their 
dance  so  long  as  the  clothes  which  they  wear 
may  last/  Then  they  came  back  and  so  de- 
termined were  they  to  continue  it  for  ever,  that 
they  never  let  the  clothes  wear  out  to  this  day. 
If  one  piece  of  a  suit  shall  be  worn  it  is  so 
quickly  mended  or  repaired  that  no  suit  has 
ever  worn  out  all  at  once,  so  that  these  are  the 
same  suits  as  those  worn  long  ago." 

"  I  am  so  glad  they  still  have  it,"  said  Fer- 
nando, "  for  I  wouldn't  have  missed  seeing  it 
to-day  for  anything." 


CHAPTER  VIII 


RAINY    DAYS 


"  Mamma,  would  you  allow  me  to  go  to  the 
bull-fight  with  father  and  Pablo?  "  asked  Fer- 
nando next  day. 

"  No,  indeed,  my  son,  a  bull-fight  is  no 
place  for  women  and  children/'  his  mother 
replied.  "  I  have  never  been  to  one  in  all  my 
life,  and  Juanita  shall  never  attend.  I  wish 
Pablo  did  not  care  to  go,  either,  but  he  must 
do  as  he  wishes  now  that  he  is  grown.  A  boy 
cannot  always  be  at  his  mother's  girdle,  but  you 
must  be  much  bigger  than  now  before  you  will 
see  such  a  sight." 

Fernando  sighed,  but  he  knew  that  there 
was  no  use  saying  more,  for  the  word  of  la 
madre  was  law.     He  was  very  anxious  to  see  a 

74 


Rainy    Days  75 

bull-fight,  for  every  boy  in  Spain  desires  that 
above  all  things.  The  fights  are  held  on  all 
holidays,  but  the  finest  one  of  all  is  at  Easter. 
The  immense  amphitheatre  of  Sevilla  holds 
thousands  of  spectators,  men  wild  with  excite- 
ment over  the  sport,  and  even  women,  though 
the  most  refined  ladies  do  not  frequent  the 
corridas.  The  bull  is  turned  loose  in  the 
centre  of  the  huge  ring  and  tormented  until 
he  is  ready  to  fight.  Men  with  sharp-pointed 
darts,  called  banderillas,  tease  him  by  throwing 
their  barbs  at  him,  and  pricking  his  skin  until 
he  is  nearly  crazy.  Then  men  mounted  on 
horseback,  the  picadores,  wave  scarlet  cloths 
before  his  eyes,  exciting  him  still  more,  for 
a  bull  hates  red  worse  than  anything  in  the 
world.  He  dashes  at  the  cruel  cloth,  and 
sometimes  is  too  quick  for  the  man  who 
carries  it,  tossing  him  on  his  horns,  but  gen- 
erally it  is  the  poor  horse  who  is  killed,  and 
the  man  jumps  away  to  safety.     The  matador 


76      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

is  the  one  who  slays  the  bull,  and  he  is  some- 
times killed  himself.  It  is  a  terribly  cruel 
affair,  though  Spaniards  say  it  is  not  so  cruel 
as  our  prize-fighting. 

It  was  late  that  evening  when  Fernando 
went  to  bed,  and  ere  he  did  so  there  was  quite 
an  excitement.  They  were  all  seated  upon 
the  piazza  of  the  house,  he  and  Juanita,  his 
cousins  and  their  elders,  when  there  was  a 
great  cry  from  the  street,  "  The  toro  !  The 
toro ! "  and  a  clatter  of  horses'  hoofs.  All 
screamed  loudly,  for  to  have  a  bull  escape  from 
the  pens  is  a  frequent  occurrence,  and  not  a 
very  pleasant  one.  The  cries  became  louder, 
the  horses'  hoofs  beat  nearer  and  nearer,  and 
as  in  the  dusk  a  figure  dashed  down  the  street, 
the  senora,  screaming  loudly,  caught  Juanita 
to  her  and  tried  to  climb  the  pillar  at  her  side. 
She  was  very  stout,  and  the  pillar  was  very 
slippery,  and  she  could  not  climb  with  one 
arm,  so  she  slid  down  as  fast  as  she  climbed 


Rainy    Days  77 

up,  squealing  all  the  time,  "El  toro>  Madre 
de  Dios  !  el  toro  I  " 

Fernando  was  frightened,  too,  but  he  was 
a  brave  boy,  and  he  tried  his  best  to  push 
his  mother  up  out  of  danger,  boosting  her  as 
she  slipped  down,  but  not  helping  very  much, 
as  you  might  suppose.  It  seemed  to  him  an 
hour,  but  it  was  only  a  minute  before  servants 
came  from  the  house,  and  as  they  did  so  a 
horse  dashed  up  before  the  pillars,  and,  stopped 
too  hastily  by  his  rider,  slid  along  the  stones 
on  his  hind  feet.  On  his  back  was  Pablo, 
waving  his  sombrero^  and  crying,  "  What  a 
corrida  !  It  was  glorious  !  Six  bulls  to  die, 
and  Rosito  never  in  such  form  !  But,  madre 
mia,  what  is  the  matter  ?  "  as  he  sprang  from 
his  horse  and  assisted  his  mother  to  a  seat. 

The  senora  could  not  speak,  but  Fernando 
said,  "  We  thought  the  noise  was  a  bull  es- 
caped, and  I  was  assisting  my  mother  to  a 
height  of  safety." 


78      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

Pablo  looked  at  the  little  figure  speaking 
so  gravely,  then  threw  back  his  head  and 
shouted  with  laughter,  but  seeing  Fernando's 
hurt  expression,  stopped  quickly,  and  said : 

"  Bravo,  little  brother,  thou  art  a  good 
knight  to  care  for  thy  mother  and  sister ! " 

"  Better  than  thou  ! "  His  mother  had  re- 
gained her  voice  by  this  time. 

"  Thou  art  still  the  same  Pablo,  and  will  yet 
be  the  death  of  thy  poor  mother,"  but  Pablo 
kissed  her  hand  so  gallantly,  and  begged  her 
pardon  so  amiably,  that  she  quite  forgave  him. 

Next  day,  alas  !  it  was  raining,  and  it  rained 
so  hard  all  that  day,  and  nearly  all  of  the  next, 
that  the  children  were  like  little  bears  in  a  cage. 
They  played  with  everything  they  could  think 
of,  but  after  awhile  they  grew  restless  and 
quarrelled  so  that  the  grown-up  folk  grew 
nervous,  too. 

At  last,  Mariquita's  father,  gay  and  charm- 
ing Uncle  Ruy,  came  to  the  rescue. 


Rainy    Days  79 

"  Who  wants  to  take  a  trip  into  the  country 
with  me  ?  "  he  asked,  and  as  each  one  squealed 
"  I  !  "  he  said  : 

"  Of  course  we  can't  go,  really,  but  we  can 
make  believe,  and  I  shall  take  you  to  a  hacienda 
outside  the  old  wall  of  Sevilla. 

"  It  lies  amidst  orange  and  olive  groves,  and 
all  kinds  of  flowers,  and  many  of  the  things 
we  eat  come  from  that  very  place.  Who 
knows  how  they  pickle  olives  ? " 

"  Are  olives  pickled  ?  "  asked  Juanita,  and 
Mariquita  said : 

"  How  queer  it  seems  that  all  the  things  we 
eat  have  to  go  through  so  much  before  they 
can  be  eaten.  I  did  not  know  that  olives  had 
to  be  pickled." 

"Yes,  mi  nina,  and  we  will  play  that  we  are 
visiting  an  olive  grove,  and  we  can  see  the 
way  the  olives  are  picked  and  made  ready  for 
food.  See,  here  are  the  trees,  and  the  fruit  is 
picked    from     them     and    placed    in    baskets. 


8o        Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

There  are  two  kinds  of  olives  used,  green  and 
ripe,  the  green  ones  are  picked  just  before  they 
begin  to  turn  soft.  These  are  separated  from 
the  others,  and  the  bitter  taste  is  removed 
by  soaking  in  fresh  water  for  a  long  time,  or 
some  picklers  soak  them  for  a  shorter  time 
in  a  solution  of  potash  lye.  This  softens  the 
skin  and  extracts  all  bitterness,  but  the  olives 
must  be  soaked  in  clear  water,  which  is  fre- 
quently changed  to  get  all  the  potash  off. 
Then  they  are  placed  in  weak  brine,  and  after- 
ward in  stronger,  until  they  have  the  salty 
taste  which  we  like  so  much.  Then  they  are 
put  in  small  barrels  and  taken  to  the  bottling 
rooms,  where  they  are  bottled  and  labelled 
for  the  market." 

"  How  is  the  oil  made  ?  "  asked  Fernando. 

"  That  is  harder  to  do,  but  it  is  very 
interesting  to  watch.  The  fresh  olives  are 
carefully  picked,  dried  a  little,  and  then  crushed. 
Old-fashioned  stone  mills  are  used  to  crush  the 


Rainy    Days  81 

fruit,  and  the  mass  is  pressed  to  extract  the 
liquid  which  contains  all  the  watery  juice  as 
well  as  the  oil  and  pulp." 

"  What  do  they  do  after  it  is  pressed  ? " 
asked  Fernando. 

"They  let  it  stand  for  a  month  and  the 
refuse  goes  to  the  bottom.  Then  the  oil  is 
poured  off  and  allowed  to  stand  another  month, 
when  the  process  is  repeated.  After  the  third 
time  the  oil  is  ready  for  use.  The  best  oil  is 
made  in  this  way,  as  it  keeps  its  colour  and 
flavour  better  by  the  settling  process  than  when 
it  is  filtered. 

"In  some  places  the  olives  are  placed  on  a 
platform  and  the  millstone  is  placed  over  them. 
This  is  turned  round  and  round  by  means  of  a 
pole  to  which  a  donkey  is  hitched,  and  the  mass 
which  is  turned  out  is  placed  in  rush  baskets, 
which  are  put  under  a  press  which  is  screwed 
down  by  five  or  six  men,  so  that  the  oil  is 
squeezed  out,  but  that  is  a  very  old-fashioned 


82      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

way  of  making  oil,  and  there  are  better  ways 
now.  They  still  use  this,  however,  when  there 
is  a  big  crop,  and  they  want  to  get  the  fruit 
made  into  oil  as  rapidly  as  possible.  Great 
care  must  be  taken  that  everything  is  clean  and 
that  the  oil  does  not  become  rancid,  or  it  will 
all  be  spoiled." 

"  Is  everything  we  eat  so  interesting  ? " 
asked  Juanita. 

"  The  things  we  eat  and  wear,  too,"  her 
uncle  answered,  "  and  nothing  in  all  Sevilla 
is  more  interesting  than  the  way  of  making 
silk." 

"  How  is  that  done  ?  "  asked  Fernando. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  could  not  make  you  under- 
stand it  all,  unless  you  could  go  to  the  silk 
manufactory,  and  even  then  it  would  be  hard 
for  you.  But  I  can  tell  you  about  the  cocoons, 
and  that  is  the  strangest  thing  about  it.  The 
silkworm  was  first  brought  to  Europe  from 
India  in  530,  when  monks  brought  it  to  the 


Rainy    Days  83 

Emperor  Justinian.  The  silkworm  is  a  kind 
of  a  caterpillar  which  feeds  on  the  leaves  of  the 
white  mulberry-tree,  and  lays  his  eggs  in  a 
kind  of  gummy  substance  on  the  leaves  in  the 
end  of  June  to  be  hatched  out  in  the  following 
April.  The  caterpillar  is  small  at  first,  about 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  long,  but  grows  to  be  three 
inches  in  length.  By  means  of  a  substance  in 
their  mouths  the  silkworms  spin  out  silky 
strands  which  form  cocoons,  each  fibre  being 
about  eight  hundred  yards  long.  When  ready 
for  weaving,  the  cocoons  are  placed  in  an  oven 
at  a  gentle  heat  which  kills  the  chrysalis  so 
that  the  silk  fibres  can  be  removed  and 
wound." 

"  How  do  they  get  the  silk  wound  ? 
Doesn't  it  break  ? "  asked  Fernando. 

"  It  is  rather  hard  to  do,"  his  uncle  an- 
swered, "  but  they  learn  to  be  very  careful,  and 
the  cocoon  is  soaked  in  warm  water  which 
loosens  the  little  filaments.     When  the  cocoons 


84      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

are  reeled  the  first  step  has  been  taken,  and  the 
reeled  silk  is  called  raw  silk,  from  which  all  silk 
products  are  made." 

"  I  wish  we  could  see  it  all,  but  perhaps  we 
can  sometime  when  we  are  here  again,"  said 
Fernando.     "  Oh,  it  has  stopped  raining !  " 

"Yes,  indeed,  and  the  Guadalquiver  has 
overflowed  its  banks,"  said  Pablo,  coming  in  at 
that  moment.  "  There  has  not  been  such  a 
freshet  for  years.  Come  along  with  me,  Nando, 
and  we  will  go  boating  in  the  streets.  I 
climbed  to  the  top  of  the  Giralda,  and  the 
whole  country  looks  like  a  great  sea." 

"  Oh,  may  I  go  with  Pablo  and  see  ?  "  cried 
Fernando,  and  his  mother,  with  many  injunc- 
tions to  Pablo  to  take  care  of  him,  said  "  Yes." 

They  went  to  the  Alcazar  gardens,  those  most 
wonderful  gardens  of  Spain,  and  as  it  was  early 
spring  the  flowers  and  insects  were  making 
merry  in  the  sunshine,  which  had  come  back 
with  renewed  force,  after  its  vacation.     Scarcely 


"THEY    WENT    TO    THE    ALCAZAR    GARDENS.' 


Rainy    Days  85 

tumbled  by  the  rain,  lovely  banksia  roses  were 
climbing  over  the  walls,  the  rosy,  blossoming 
judas-trees,  tinted  acacias,  and  pink  almonds 
were  in  bloom,  and  orange-trees  were  bursting 
into  fragrant  beauty.  Violets  and  tulips,  yel- 
low oxalis,  wild  hyacinths,  and  the  scarlet 
dragon-flower  carpeted  the  ground,  while  tall 
white  lilies,  like  fair  maidens,  and  stately  iris 
with  sword-like  leaves,  reminding  one  of  the 
knights  of  chivalry  who  once  walked  these 
paths,  stood  sentinel  adown  the  walks.  Fer- 
nando saw,  too,  the  insects  which  flitted  among 
the  branches,  beetles  with  bright  green  coats 
like  emeralds,  white  and  gold  butterflies,  birds 
with  brilliant  wings  and  sweet  voices.  But 
Pablo  was  thinking  more  of  sport  than  of 
nature,  and  he  hurried  along  until  they  found 
a  man  and  a  boat  to  row  them,  and  what  a  gay 
sail  they  had  right  down  the  main  streets  of 
the  town  !  Past  the  cathedral  steps  and  the 
Golden  Tower  where  Columbus  piled  up  gold 


86      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

brought  from  the  New  World,  Sevillians  say, 
and  all  the  other  interesting  sights  of  the  city, 
so  that  Fernando  came  home  tired  and  happy, 
to  tell  Juanita  of  the  wonderful  things  he  had 
seen. 

"  I  do  not  wonder  that  they  say,  c  He  whom 
God  loves  has  a  house  in  Sevilla,'  "  he  said. 
"  It  is  so  beautiful  a  city." 

"Truly,— 

*<  <  Quien  no  ha  visto  Sevilla 

No  ha  visto  una  maravilla. '  "  1 

said  Mariquita  boastingly,  but  little  Juanita 
prattled  in  reply  the  Grenadino's  favourite  re- 
sponse— 

"  *  Quien  no  ha  visto  Grenada 


No  ha  visto  nada. 


j  >>  a 


1  He  who  has  not  visited  Sevilla 
Has  not  seen  a  marvel. 

2  Who  has  not  seen  Granada 
Has  seen  nothing. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


TO    THE    COUNTRY 


Home  again !  At  first  it  seemed  to  Fer- 
nando as  if  he  could  never  go  back  to  school, 
for  after  his  week  of  fetes  and  processions  and 
fun,  lessons  were  dull  things,  but  he  soon 
fell  into  the  old  ways,  and  there  were  so  many 
pleasant  things  at  home  that  he  did  not  pine 
for  Sevilla  at  all. 

He  had  a  pet  lamb  —  what  boy  has  not  in 
spring-time  in  Spain  ?  —  and  he  was  devoted 
to  it  for  awhile,  trying  to  feed  it  all  manner 
of  things. 

"  Manuel,"  he  said  one  day,  "  I  do  not 
know  what  is  wrong  with  my  pet  lamb.  It 
will  not  eat  the  things  I  give  it.      I  have  never 

seen  so  stubborn  a  thing.     Mazo  is  far  differ- 

87 


88      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

ent.  It  will  eat  anything  at  all,  but  the  lamb 
stands  and  stares  at  me,  and  shuts  its  mouth, 
no  matter  what  I  offer  him." 

"  Lambs  are  always  stubborn/'  said  Manuel. 
"  They  do  not  eat  much  but  milk  when  they 
are  so  young.  But  here,  I  have  a  new  kite  ; 
will  you  fly  it  ?  " 

"  Indeed  I  will,"  cried  the  boy,  and  in  an 
instant  the  lamb  was  forgotten,  and  he  was 
skipping  down  the  street,  his  kite  skimming 
the  air  like  a  gaily  coloured  bird. 

It  was  a  beautiful  spring  in  Granada,  and 
Fernando  spent  every  minute  out  of  doors 
unless  actually  compelled  to  be  in  school  or  in 
bed.  The  family  ate  in  the  lovely  patio  where 
the  flowers  were  beginning  to  blossom,  and 
the  sun  was  not  too  warm  to  do  without  the 
awning,  which  in  summer  stretched  overhead. 
If  it  was  not  kites  in  which  he  was  interested, 
it  was  marbles  and  ball,  or  even  a  play  bull- 
fight ;  and  Fernando  was  very  proud  when  he 


To   the   Country  89 

was  chosen  to  be  "  toro,"  and  put  his  head  in 
a  basketwork  affair  with  points  like  horns,  and 
the  boys  chased  him  with  sticks,  running,  jump- 
ing, and  dodging  when  he  turned  and  charged 
them  as  he  had  heard  that  the  bulls  did  at 
the  real  corridas. 

Best  of  all,  it  was  time  to  have  his  head 
shaved,  and  of  all  things  that  was  what  he 
liked.  His  mother  mourned,  for  the  boy's 
hair  was  naturally  curly,  and  in  winter  was 
as  soft  and  pretty  as  black  velvet.  But  all 
Spanish  boys  have  their  heads  shaved  in  sum- 
mer, and  Fernando  must  be  like  the  rest.  It 
was  cut  so  close  that  it  made  him  look  very 
funny,  and  his  great  black  eyes  shone  like 
beads  in  his  lean  brown  face,  with  no  soft  hair 
to  soften  its  harsh  outlines. 

Fernando  and  Antonio  were  still  devoted 
friends.  They  played  together  after  school 
and  on  the  holidays,  and  many  delightful 
times  did  the  two   boys   have,  either  in  the 


go      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

Alhambra  or  at  Fernando's  home,  where  there 
were  many  city  sights  as  interesting  to  An- 
tonio as  the  delights  of  the  old  palace  were 
to  Fernando. 

So  devoted  had  they  become  that  Fernando 
felt  very  sorry  to  leave  his  friend  when  the 
time  came  for  him  to  accompany  his  mother 
and  sister  to  their  country  home.  Generally 
he  had  been  delighted  to  go  to  the  hacienda, 
and  enjoyed  the  country  school  even  more 
than  the  one  he  attended  in  the  city,  but  this 
year  he  felt  so  badly  over  it  that  his  father  said: 

"  Never  mind,  my  son.  I  shall  bring  An- 
tonio out  to  visit  you  when  school  is  over, 
and  you  may  have  a  fine  time  together  at  the 
hacienda"  This  made  Fernando  more  con- 
tented, and  he  went  away  with  his  parents 
quite  happily. 

As  they  started  for  the  country  on  a  bright 
May  day,  Juanita  said,  "  Oh,  mamma,  see  that 
strange  cow  !     It  is   all  dressed  with    flower- 


To  the  Country  91 

wreaths,  and  has  bells  around  its  neck  and 
flowers  on  its  horns.  Why  does  that  young 
girl  lead  it,  and  that  old  blind  man  walk  be- 
hind, and  blow  that  horn  and  beat  the  drum  ?  " 

"  That  is  a  cow  to  be  won  in  a  lottery,"  said 
the  senora.  "  Manuel,  stop  ;  I  wish  to  buy  a 
ticket.  How  we  Spaniards  do  love  a  game 
of  chance  !  See,  I  shall  buy  a  ticket  for  each 
one  of  you,  and  maybe  your  number  will 
win  the  prize." 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  mamma  !  "  both  children 
cried,  for  neither  had  ever  had  a  lottery 
ticket  before. 

"  Now  I  wish  you  to  stop  at  a  cigar-store, 
and  buy  a  stamp  x  for  my  letter  to  your  Aunt 
Isabella,  and  then  we  will  drive  on." 

As  they  turned  into  the  main  street  leading 
to  the  Alameda,  Juanita  asked,  "  Oh,  mi  madre, 
what  are  those  people  sitting  in  the  streets 
making  ?  " 

1  In  Spain  stamps  are  sold  in  cigar-stores,  not  at  the  post-office. 


92      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

"  Haven't  you  seen  the  ice-cream  makers 
before  ?  "  said  the  senora.  "  No,  I  think  you 
cannot  remember  last  summer,  can  you  ?  The 
gipsies  go  up  to  the  Sierras  in  the  very  early 
morning,  and  get  donkey-loads  of  snow,  and 
the  people  make  ice-cream  in  those  pails  with 
the  snow  in  it.  They  sit  right  at  their  doors 
on  the  sidewalk  and  make  the  fresh  cream, 
and  any  one  can  buy  a  glass  of  it." 

"  Do  let  us  have  some,"  cried  the  children, 
and  their  indulgent  mother  ordered  the  horses 
stopped  while  they  ate  some  of  the  delicious 
fresh  cream. 

As  the  carriage  rolled  on  down  the  steep 
street,  so  narrow  that  as  Manuel  said  "  one 
can  hardly  pass  another  after  a  full  dinner," 
the  swineherd  was  just  coming  out  for  the  day, 
and  Juanita  cried  : 

"Oh,  madre!  See  that  man  with  the  pipe 
in  his  mouth  ;  what  queer  music  he  plays  ! 
What  is  he?" 


To  the  Country  93 

"  He  is  the  swineherd,  nina.  See,  he  comes 
from  his  alley,  staff  in  hand,"  the  senora  said. 
"Watch  him  blow  his  pipe  without  turning 
his  head,  and  the  pigs  come  after  him,  as  if  he 
had  charmed  them.  Little  and  big,  dark  and 
light,  fat  and  scrawny,  there  they  come  follow- 
ing him  to  pasture.  Every  alley  we  pass  adds 
some  curly  tail  to  the  procession.  Now  he 
is  ready  to  turn  out  of  the  town  into  that 
grove,  and  see  what  an  army  of  piggies  follows 
him  !  He  never  looks  for  any  of  them,  but 
they  hear  the  music  of  his  pipe  and  start 
because  they  learned  long  ago  that  it  leads 
them  to  good  pastures." 

"  I  think  they  are  too  funny  for  anything," 
said  the  little  girl.  "  Does  he  bring  them  back 
at  night  ? " 

"Yes,  and  every  little  piggy  knows  his  own 
alley,  and  goes  right  home  with  a  little  frisk 
of  his  curly  tail  to  say  f  good  night, '  '  said 
her  mother,  smiling. 


94        Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

"  See  those  oxen ;  are  they  not  splendid 
fellows  ?  I  love  to  see  them  draw  their  loads 
so  easily.  Beautiful  creamy  creatures,  with 
their  dark  points  and  their  great,  soft  eyes." 

"  What  is  that  wooden  thing  over  their 
heads  ?  "  asked  Juanita. 

"  That  is  the  yoke  to  couple  them  together. 
They  are  the  gentlest  animals  in  the  world, 
these  great,  horned  beasts,  and  the  driver 
walks  in  front  of  them  with  a  stick  over  his 
shoulder,  which  he  seldom  thinks  of  using." 

"  Oh,  what  a  cunning  little  donkey  !  "  cried 
the  little  girl,  as  they  passed  a  tiny  donkey 
laden  with  panniers  filled  with  flowers,  fruit, 
vegetables,  bread,  fowls,  and  even  a  water-jar. 
"  How  prettily  he  is  clipped,  all  in  a  pattern." 

"Mamma,"  said  Fernando,  "some  of  the 
donkeys  that  the  gipsies  have  clipped  have 
mottoes  and  pictures  on  them.  I  know  a  boy 
whose  donkey  has  £  Viva  mi  Amo'1  on  his  side. 

1  Long  live  my  master. 


To  the  Country  95 

I  don't  like  that,  for  if  the  donkey  doesn't 
love  his  master,  it  is  telling  a  story." 

His  mother  laughed.  "  We  will  hope  he 
has  a  good  little  master,  and  then  the  donkey 
will  care  for  him  and  not  be  telling  a  falsehood 
with  his  fur. 

"  But  here  we  are  almost  to  the  hacienda, 
and  how  short  the  ride  has  seemed.  Now  if 
two  children  I  know  are  good,  we  shall  have 
a  delightful  summer,  and  although  you  are 
to  be  in  the  country,  and  thou,  Fernando,  will 
go  to  a  country  school,  remember  the  saying 
of  thy  fathers : 

"  «  Cuando  fueres  por  despoblado 
No  hagas  desquiciado 
Porque  cuando  fueres  por  poblado 
Iras  a  lo  vezado.'  "  ' 

1  When  you  are  in  the  wilderness  do  not  act  ill,  or  when  you 
are  among  people  you  will  do  likewise. 


CHAPTER   X. 


GAMES    AND    SPORTS 


The  hacienda  was  more  beautiful  than  it  had 
been  in  the  fall,  and  Fernando  was  soon  busy 
as  a  bee.  He  had  of  course  to  attend  school, 
but  it  was  a  country  school,  not  so  strict  nor 
so  large  as  the  city  one,  and  he  enjoyed  show- 
ing off  his  superior  accomplishments  to  the 
other  boys.  This  the  others  did  not  relish, 
and  there  was  a  grand  fight  to  see  which  was 
the  strongest,  and  when  Fernando  had  whipped 
all  the  boys  of  his  own  size,  he  was  happy  and 
felt  that  he  had  not  disgraced  the  name  of 
Guzman.  Manuel  did  not  attend  him  in  the 
country,  and  Fernando  much  enjoyed  doing  as 
he  liked,  roaming  about,  taking  his  own  time 
to   come    home,    tramping   about    the    orange 

groves,  or  sailing  boats  in  the  brook. 

96 


Games  and  Sports  97 

When  school  was  over  and  Antonio  came 
for  the  promised  visit,  what  merry  times 
there  were !  The  boys  went  swimming  at  all 
hours.  They  ran  bareheaded  all  over  the 
place,  Mazo  after  them,  their  constant  com- 
panion. Fernando  had  a  few  lessons  to  do 
each  morning,  a  master  to  teach  him  his 
French,  music,  and  drawing,  —  for  boys  of  his 
class  in  Spain  are  accomplished  as  well  as  edu- 
cated, —  but  these  were  soon  over,  and  then, 
stung  by  the  bees,  burnt  by  the  sun,  wet  by 
the  rain,  eating  green  oranges,  doing  in  fact 
what  American  boys,  or  boys  all  over  the 
world  will  do  if  let  alone,  this  was  the  way  in 
which  the  two  Spanish  boys  spent  their  vacation. 

Juanita,  meantime,  was  having  a  very  happy 
time.  She,  too,  had  a  few  lessons,  and  her  aya 
was  giving  place  to  a  governess,  but  she  was 
still  too  young  to  learn  much,  and  the  beauti- 
ful out-of-doors  was  a  great  lesson-book  to  her. 
Riding  Babieca,  tagging    after  the   boys,  sun- 


98      Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

tanned  and  rosy,  she  grew  strong  and  hearty, 
and  was  never  so  happy  as  when  allowed  to  go 
with  her  brother  and  Antonio.  Generally  they 
took  very  good  care  of  her,  and  her  mother  felt 
that  she  was  safe  with  the  two  boys.  Fernando 
teased  her  a  good  deal,  but  Antonio  was  of  a 
calmer  mood,  and  was  always  her  gentle  knight. 
All  manner  of  games  were  played  by  these 
happy  children,  who,  with  their  little  neighbours 
of  the  nearest  hacienda,  made  a  merry  group. 
They  were  simple-hearted  little  folk,  and  the 
boys  had  not  reached  the  state  described  in  the 
old  Spanish  rhyme  of  the  boys  of  Madrid  : 

"  They  should  be  romping  with  us, 
For  they  are  only  children  yet  ; 
But  they  will  not  play  at  anything 
Except  a  cigarette. 
No  plays  will  cheer  the  Prado 
In  future  times,  for  then 
The  little  boys  of  seven 
Will  all  be  married  men." 

Fernando,    and    even    the  graver   Antonio, 
entered  into  all  the  childish  sports   with   the 


Games  and  Sports 


99 


rest,  and  an  especial  favourite  was  a  play  very 
much  like  our  "  London  Bridge  is  Falling 
Down,"  called  the  "  Gate  of  Aleak."  Two 
children  are  chosen  to  head  the  lines,  and 
called  Rose  and  Pink.  They  form  an  arch 
with  their  arms  held  up  and  their  fingers 
locked,  and  under  this  the  other  children  pass 
headed  by  the  mother.  They  sing  gaily  a 
little  dialogue : 

Rose  and  Pink.      "  To  the  viper  of  love  that  hides  in  the 
flowers 
The  only  way  lies  here." 
Mother.      "  Then  here  I  pass  and  leave  behind 
One  little  daughter  dear." 
Rose  and  Pink.      "  Shall  the  first  one  or  the  last 
Be  captive  of  our  chain  ?  ' ' 
Mother.      "  Oh,  the  first  one  runs  so  lightly, 

The  last  one  shall  remain." 
Chorus.      "  Pass  on,  oho,  pass  on,  aha  ! 
By  the  Gate  of  Alcala." 

The  last  child,  with  squeals  of  delight,  is 
caught  in  the  falling  arms,  and  chooses  whether 
she    shall   follow    Rose    or    Pink,    taking    her 


ioo    Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

place  behind  the  one  of  her  choice.  When 
all  have  been  chosen,  there  is  a  grand  tug  of 
war,  the  merry  party  singing,  meantime. 

Rose  and  Pink.     ft  Let  the  young  mind  make  its  choice, 
As  young  minds  chance  to  think  ; 
Now  is  Rose  your  leader, 
Or  go  you  with  the  Pink  ? 
Let  the  young  mind  make  its  choice 
By  laws  the  young  heart  knows. 
Now  is  Pink  your  leader 
Or  go  you  with  the  Rose  ? " 
Chorus.      "  Pass  on,  oho,  pass  on,  aha, 
By  the  Gates  of  Alcala." 

The  boys  enjoyed  playing  soldier,  and 
would  whittle  toy  swords  out  of  sticks,  and 
form  in  line,  marching  and  singing : 

"  The  Catalans  are  coming, 
Marching  two  by  two  ; 
All  who  hear  their  drumming, 
Tiptoe  for  a  view, 
Aye,  aye,  tiptoe  for  a  view  ; 
Red  and  yellow  banners, 
Pennies  very  few. 
Aye,  aye,  pennies  very  few. 


Games  and  Sports  101 

'*  Red  and  yellow  banners 
The  moon  comes  out  to  see  ; 
If  moons  had  better  manners 
She'd  take  me  on  her  knee. 
Aye,  aye,  she'd  take  me  on  her  knee. 
She  peeps  through  purple  shutters ; 
Would  I  were  tall  as  she. 
Aye,  aye,  would  I  were  tall  as  she. 

**  Soldiers  need  not  learn  letters 
Nor  any  school  y  thing  ; 
But,  unless  they  mind  their  betters, 
In  golden  chains  they  swing. 
Aye,  aye,  in  golden  chains  they'll  swing. 
Or  sit  in  silver  fetters, 
Presents  from  the  king. 
Aye,  aye,  presents  from  the  king." 

The  prettiest  of  all  the  games  is  that  of  the 
"  Little  White  Pigeons,"  which  all  Andalusian 
children  love  to  play.  The  little  companions 
form  in  two  rows,  and,  facing  each  other, 
dance  forward  and  slip  beneath  the  upraised 
arms  of  the  opposite  side.  Thus  they  pass 
under  the  "  Silver  Arches "  to  Sevilla  and 
Granada : 


102    Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

"  Little  white  pigeons  are  dreaming  of  Seville, 
Sun  in  the  palm-trees,  rose  and  revel. 
Lift  up  the  arches,  gold  as  the  weather, 
Little  white  pigeons  come  flying  together. 

"  Little  white  pigeons,  dream  of  Granada, 
Glistening  snows  on  Sierra  Nevada. 
Lift  up  the  arches,  silver  as  fountains, 
Little  white  pigeons  fly  to  the  mountains.' ' 

Our  little  Spanish  cousins  play  nearly  all 
the  same  games  that  American  children  play, 
only  their  "Blind  Man's  Buff"  is  called  "  Blind 
Hen,"  and  "  Pussy  Wants  a  Corner,"  is  called 
"Cottage  to  Rent,"  and  played  with  the  rhyme: 

"  Cottage  to  rent,  try  the  other  side, 
You  see  this  one  is  occupied." 

Their  game  of  tag  is  called  the  "  Moon  and 
the  Morning  Stars,"  and  is  played  by  one 
child  being  chosen  as  the  Moon  and  forced 
to  keep  within  the  shadow.  The  rest  of  the 
children,  being  Morning  Stars,  are  safe  only 
where  it  is  light.  If  the  Moon  can  catch  a 
Star   in    the    shadow,  the    Star   must   become 


Games  and  Sports  103 

a  Moon,  and  as  the  Stars  scamper  in  and  out 
of  the  shadow,  all  sing : 

««  O  the  Moon  and  the  Morning  Stars, 
O  the  Moon  and  the  Morning  Stars, 
Who  dares  to  tread  —  oh 
Within  the  shadow.' ' 

"  Hide  and  Seek  "  the  children  played,  and 
"  Forfeits,"  and  all  manner  of  other  games, 
and  as  the  sun  nearly  always  shines  in  Anda- 
lusia, the  summer  was  one  long  merry  round 
of  out-of-door  fun. 


CHAPTER   XL 

A    TERTULIA 

September  found  the  children  at  home 
again,  and  Fernando  back  at  school,  while 
Juanita  had  a  governess  for  a  part  of  each  day, 
though  she  was  not  expected  to  learn  a  great 
deal ;  for  the  Spaniards  think  if  their  girls  are 
sweet  and  gentle  they  need  not  be  very  learned. 
If  a  Spanish  girl  of  sixteen  knows  how  to  read 
and  write,  simple  arithmetic,  a  little  history, 
and  can  dance  and  embroider  well,  she  is  quite 
accomplished  enough  to  marry,  which  is  what 
most  of  them  intend  to  do. 

Things  were  going  very  quietly,  when  there 

came  an  excitement  so  great  for  the  children 

that   they   were   almost   wild.     This   was   the 

home-coming,  in  the  latter  part  of  September, 
104 


A  Tertulia  105 

of  Pablo,  just  in  from  his  long  summer  cruise, 
with  a  fortnight's  leave  of  absence.  He  came 
home  to  celebrate  his  coming  of  age,  and 
there  was  to  be  a  tertulia  in  his  honour.  The 
children  were  to  stay  up  to  the  party,  and  as 
it  was  the  first  time  that  they  had  been  per- 
mitted to  stay  up  after  eight  o'clock,  they 
were  delighted.  To  them  it  was  the  greatest 
event  in  their  lives,  and  they  were  almost  afraid 
to  breathe  all  day,  for  fear  the  treat  would 
be  cut  off.  Juanita  even  stood  quite  still  to 
have  her  curls  made,  which  was  generally  a 
performance  attended  with  agony,  and  before 
the  end  of  which  her  aya  was  sure  to  say, 
"  Hush,  Mambru  will  certainly  get  you ! " 
Mambru  is  to  a  little  Spanish  girl  what  a  bogey 
is  to  an  American  child,  and  she  will  be  very 
good  for  fear  of  Mambru.  But  the  day  passed 
off  pleasantly,  and  the  children  were  dressed 
and  sent  down  to  the  patio  to  await  the  arrival 
of  the  guests. 


106    Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

The  pleasant  thing  about  a  Spanish  party 
is  that  there  is  no  fuss  made,  and  therefore 
everybody  enjoys  themselves.  The  hostess 
never  tires  herself  out  preparing  for  her  guests 
so  that  she  cannot  be  cheerful  and  agreeable 
when  they  arrive.  The  hospitality  of  Spain 
is  perfect.  A  Spaniard  gives  his  friends  just 
what  is  good  enough  for  himself,  and  never 
thinks  of  doing  more.  So  there  was  not  a 
great  brewing  and  baking  on  the  day  of  the 
party,  and  flushed,  heated  faces;  but  there 
were  a  few  simple  refreshments,  much  pleas- 
ant talk  and  hearty  laughter  among  old  and 
young.  There  were  about  thirty  friends  of 
the  family  who  came  in  to  talk  and  chat.  The 
parents  came  with  their  daughters,  for  girls 
never  go  to  parties  alone  in  Spain,  and  old  and 
young  spent  the  evening  together.  Some  one 
played  on  the  piano  and  the  young  people 
danced,  lovely  Trinidad  del  Aguistanado  danc- 
ing with  Pablo.     This   Juanita   watched  with 


A  Tertulia  107 

delight.  Trinidad  was  the  loveliest  of  ail  the 
girls,  and  she  thought,  of  course,  Pablo  should 
have  the  prettiest  maiden  in  all  the  world. 
She  was  as  sweet  as  she  was  pretty,  and  said 
to  the  little  girl : 

"  What  is  thy  name,  nina  ? "  and  when 
Juanita  answered,  sweetly : 

"  Juanita,  to  serve  God  and  you,"  as  all 
Spanish  children  are  taught  to  answer,  Trinidad 
kissed  her  on  both  cheeks,  and  gave  her  a  rose 
from  her  girdle.  At  this  Juanita  was  delighted, 
and  Pablo  sighed  prodigiously.  The  older 
people,  too,  seemed  well  pleased  with  Pablo's 
choice,  for  the  girl's  family  was  as  good 
as  theirs,  and  the  two  had  been  friends  for 
many  years. 

"  Juanita,"  said  Fernando  in  a  whisper,  "  I 
believe  that  Pablo  will  bite  the  iron '  of  the 
Senorita  Trinidad.     Will  it  not  be  strange  to 

1  Spanish  lovers  stand  beneath  the  windows  of  their  sweet- 
hearts, to  serenade  them  every  night,  and,  as  the  windows  are 
grated  with  iron,  this  is  called  "  biting  the  iron." 


io8    Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

think  of  him  beneath  her  window,  singing 
of  love  to  his  guitar  ? " 

"  It  will  be  beautiful,"  sighed  the  little  girl, 
for  Spanish  children  are  always  interested  in 
the  love  affairs  of  their  older  brothers  and 
sisters,  and  even  little  girls  talk  about  them. 
"  How  handsome  Pablo  looks  as  he  talks 
with   her." 

"  They  are  as  fair  as  the  lovers  of  Teruel," 
said  old  Dolores,  who  was  at  the  party  to  take 
care  of  her  little  charges. 

"  Tell  us  about  them,"  said  Juanita,  eagerly, 
for  she  dearly  loved  Dolores's  quaint  stories ; 
and  the  ay  a  began  : 

"  In  the  town  of  Teruel  there  lived,  many 
years  ago,  a  Spanish  knight,  Don  Juan  Diego 
Martinez  de  Marcilla,  and  he  loved  with  all 
his  heart  Dona  Isabel  de  Segura.  Alas,  un- 
happily !  for  the  fathers  of  the  two  lovers 
were  enemies,  and  would  not  listen  to  love 
between   them. 


A  Tertulia  109 

" c  Thou  art  but  a  second  son/  said  Don 
Pedro  de  Segura,  the  father  of  Dona  Isabel. 
c  Moreover,  thou  hast  not  a  fortune  equal  to 
that  of  my  daughter,  who  possesses  thirty- 
thousand  sueldos  in  good  gold,  and  is  my 
sole  heiress/ 

" '  Full  well  I  know  that  I  am  in  no  wise 
worthy  of  thy  fair  daughter/  said  Don  Juan, 
c  and  upon  her  grace  have  I  no  claim  save  that 
she  loves  my  unworthy  self.  But  since  this  is 
God's  truth,  I  pray  you  give  me  the  chance 
to  prove  my  devotion,  and  I  will  furnish  suffi- 
cient fortune  to  equal  hers.  I  go  to  the  wars 
with  my  lord,  King  Sancho  of  Navarre. 
Grant  me  five  years  in  which  to  gain  this 
fortune,  and  give  me  your  promise  that  for 
that  length  of  time  you  will  not  force  Dona 
Isabel  to  marry  another/ 

<c  Dona  Isabel  was  very  young,  and  her 
father  very  fond,  and  by  this  he  could  keep 
her  with  him  five  long  years,  and,  moreover, 


no    Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

marry  her  to  whom  he  pleased,  for  he  said  to 
himself,  c  In  that  time  both  of  them  will  forget/ 
and  so  he  smilingly  said : 

cc  c  Your  words  have  some  reason.  Go  with 
God,  and  if  you  return,  well  and  good.  My 
daughter  shall  not  marry  against  her  will  for 
five  years  to  this  day,  but  mark  me,  rash 
youth,  not  one  day  more  shall  she  wait.' 

"  Then  the  lovers  bade  each  other  farewell, 
and  Don  Juan  rode  to  the  wars.  These  were 
waged  against  the  wicked  Moors,  and  with 
knights  and  squires,  the  armies  of  Don  Al- 
phonso  of  Castile,  Don  Pedro  of  Aragon,  and 
Don  Sancho  of  Navarre  fought  long  and 
fiercely  until,  at  the  great  battle  of  Las  Navas 
de  Tolosa,  the  Moor  was  crushed.  Many  a 
valiant  deed  was  done,  and  Don  Juan  was 
bravest  of  them  all.  He  broke  through  the 
chain  which  guarded  the  tent  of  the  Moorish 
king,  and  thereby  gained  great  glory  and  won 
for  himself  the  right  to  wear  a  chain  around 


A  Tertulia  1 1 1 

the  margin  of  his  shield  in  honour  of  the  day. 
He  gained  great  renown  and  fortune,  but,  alas, 
he  was  sorely  wounded,  and  it  was  more  than 
five  years  before  he  could  return  to  his  beloved. 
He  arrived  in  Teruel  but  one  short  day  after 
the  time  was  up,  and  found  Dona  Isabel 
married  to  another,  Don  Pedro  Fernandez  de 
Azagra.  Despairing,  he  desired  to  see  his 
beloved  once  more,  and  climbed  to  her  window 
on  her  wedding-night.  Finding  her  alone  and 
her  husband  sleeping,  he  implored  her  to  give 
him  one  last  kiss.  She  refused,  and  said, 
weeping,  c  Alas  !  you  came  not  and  I  thought 
myself  forgotten.  I  am  wedded  to  this 
good  man,  and  to  him  alone  belong  my 
caresses/ 

"  At  this  his  heart  broke,  and  crying, '  Fare- 
well, beloved  ! '  he  dropped  dead  at  her  feet. 

"  At  that  moment  her  husband  awoke,  and 
she  told  him  straightway  the  truth,  at  which 
he  said,  c  Thou  hast  been  cruel  and  unkind  to 


U2    Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

this  good  man,  but  to  me  faithful  and  true,  and 
I  shall  but  love  thee  the  more  !  '  and  he  took 
the  body  of  the  poor  Don  Juan  and  bore  it 
secretly  to  his  father's  step  and  laid  it  down 
and  fled  away. 

"  When  the  body  of  the  knight  was  found, 
there  was  great  mourning,  and  he  was  given 
a  grand  funeral  at  the  cathedral,  to  which  all 
Teruel  came  to  do  him  honour.  There  also 
came  the  unhappy  Dona  Isabel,  disguised  so 
that  none  might  know  her,  and,  determined  to 
give  her  lover  in  death  the  kiss  which  she  had 
denied  him  in  life,  she  stooped  to  kiss  his  lips. 
Lo !  the  eyes  unclosed,  he  smiled  at  her,  and 
they  closed  again,  and  she  fell  beside  him 
dead !  All  were  struck  dumb  with  horror,  but 
Don  Azagra  came  forward  and  told  the  mourn- 
ful story,  whereupon  the  two  bodies  were 
buried  in  the  same  grave. 

" c  Separated  in  life,  in  death  they  shall  be 
together/   said  the  generous  knight  who  had 


A  Tertulia  113 

been  her  husband  but  not  her  beloved;  and  this 
is  the  sad,  sad  story  of  the  lovers  of  Teruel." 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  Dolores,  it  is  a  beautiful 
story,"  cried  Juanita,  and  the  young  people 
who  had  gathered  around  to  hear  clapped 
their  hands,  and  thanked  her,  too. 

"  What  think  you,  Senorita  Trinidad,  would 
you  have  kissed  your  lover  had  you  been  Dona 
Isabel  ? "  asked  Pablo  of  the  young  girl. 

"  I  should  not  have  married  the  other  man, 
senor,"  she  said,  flushing  prettily. 

"  Come,  Trinidad,  you  must  sing  for  us," 
cried  one  of  her  friends.  "  Sing  the  song  of 
Santa  Rita,"  and  Trinidad,  with  a  merry  little 
glance  at  Pablo,  sang  the  gay  little  song  which 
Spanish  girls  sing  in  jest,  asking  Santa  Rita  to 
procure  them  a  good  husband. 

"Santa  Rita,  Santa  Rita, 
Cada  una  de  nosotros  necesita, 
Para  uso  de  diario 
Un  marido  millonario, 


U4    Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

Aunque  sea  un  animal 
Si  tal,  si  tal,  si  tal,  si  tal, 
Un  marido  millonario, 
Aunque  sea  un  animal.'  "  * 

Everybody  applauded  loudly,  and  Trinidad, 
laughing  and  blushing,  sang  again.  The  older 
people  sat  about  serenely,  some  talking,  others 
playing  cards  or  dominoes.  The  younger 
ones  played  sprightly  games  and  talked  like 
magpies,  and  the  children  listened  spell- 
bound. 

"  Who  art  thou,  Pablo  ?  "  laughed  one,  and 
Pablo  answered,  merrily  : 

"  Ole  Saltero,  sin  vanidad, 
Soy  muy  bonito,  soy  muy  salado!  "  2 

x  "  Santa  Rita,  Santa  Rita,  send  us  now, 
We  pray  thee  fervently, 
A  millionaire  for  a  husband, 
E'en  a  blockhead  though  he  be, 
E'en  so,  e'en  so,  e'en  so, 
A  millionaire  for  a  husband, 
A  blockhead  though  he  be." 

2 "Sister  Saltero,  without  vanity, 
I  am  lovely,  I  am  salado," 
salado  meaning  charming,  witty,  gracious. 


A  Tertulia  115 

And  every  one  laughed,  and  Trinidad  gave  him 
a  charming  glance  from  under  her  black  lashes. 

Refreshments  were  passed  around,  very 
simple  ones.  There  were  trays  of  water,  and 
by  each  glass  round  lumps  of  sugar,  which 
the  guests  dipped  in  the  water  and  ate,  hard 
little  cakes,  cups  of  thick  chocolate  into  which 
finger  cakes  were  dipped  and  eaten,  and  some 
charming  little  bonbons.  There  was  no  wine, 
for  although  the  finest  wine  in  the  world  is 
made  in  Spain,  the  Spaniards  are  great  water 
drinkers,  and  seldom  have  wine  except  at  din- 
ners. The  men  all  smoked,  but  not  the  ladies, 
for  while  the  Mexican  women  sometimes  smoke 
a  dainty  cigarrillo,  Spanish  women  do  not. 

Later  on,  Pablo's  health  was  drunk  in  tiny 
glasses  of  sherry,  as  this  was  a  special  occasion, 
and  pleasant  speeches  were  made  to  him, 
wishing  him  all  success  in  his  career. 

"  Thou  art  now  a  man,  my  son,"  said  his 
father,     proudly     and     affectionately.       "  Re- 


n6    Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

member  that  since  the  time  of  the  Emperor 
Charles  V.,  thy  fathers  have  had  the  right 
to  wear  the  Golden  Key  "  upon  their  hip,  and 
do  nothing  to  disgrace  thy  name.  On  the 
sword  of  my  grandfather  was  engraved  the 
motto,  c  Do  not  draw  me  without  reason  nor 
sheathe  me  without  honour  ! '  Let  his  motto 
be  thine  own,  and  remember  that  to  a  Spaniard 
honour  comes  first." 

Then  the  party  broke  up,  and  Fernando 
and  Juanita  were  trotted  off  to  bed,  and  sleep- 
ily murmured  their  evening  prayer : 

"Jesus,  Joseph,  Mary, 
Your  little  servant  keep, 
And  with  your  kind  permission, 
I'll  lay  me  down  to  sleep  !  " 

and  they  heard  through  the  soft  moonlight  the 
tinkle  of  Pablo's  guitar,  as  he  strolled  along 
to  bite  the  iron  beneath  the  grating  of  the 
dainty  Senorita  Trinidad. 

1  The  noblest  of  the  Spanish  grandees  wear  a  golden  key 
upon  the  hip  to  indicate  that  they  have  the  right  to  enter  the 
king's  doors  at  any  time. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

VIVA    EL    REY ! 

All  Granada  was  in  a  flutter  !  It  was  the 
brightest  of  October  days,  and  the  sun  seemed 
to  be  trying  to  be  as  bright  as  the  people, 
or  the  people  to  be  as  gay  as  the  sunshine. 
Fernando  and  Juanita  hopped  out  of  bed  and 
ran  to  the  window  the  first  minute  they  were 
awake,  and  squealed  with  delight  when  they 
saw  that  the  day  was  fair. 

"Oh,  mamma!"  cried  Fernando.  "Is  it 
not  glorious  ?  The  fete  will  be  a  success  !  " 
and  Juanita  echoed  her  brother,  "  Is  it  not 
wonderfully   fair !  " 

"  Come   and  have  your   chocolate   quickly, 

like   good    children,"   returned    their    mother, 

"  for  you  must  be  ready  early." 

117 


n8    Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

As  soon  as  the  children  were  breakfasted, 
they  were  dressed  in  their  best  clothes,  Juanita 
all  in  white,  with  a  gay  sash,  and  Fernando  in 
a  sailor  suit  of  blue,  and  they  waited  impa- 
tiently for  their  parents  to  be  ready  to  start 
for  the  fete. 

It  was  a  great  day  for  Granada,  for  the 
king  was  coming  to  visit  the  city,  and  it  had 
been  many  years  since  royalty  had  honoured 
the  Andalusian  town.  Spaniards  are  nearly 
always  devoted  to  their  king,  and  in  Andalusia 
there  are  very  few  who  are  not  fond  and 
proud  of  the  young  King  Alphonso. 

In  Northern  Spain  there  are  many  who  are 
called  Carlists,  and  who  believe  that  the  de- 
scendants of  Don  Carlos  are  the  lawful  kings 
of  Spain,  and  these  have  often  gotten  up  revo- 
lutions and  tried  to  set  their  own  favourites  up 
as  kings. 

In  Barcelona  and  some  of  the  eastern 
provinces    there    are   many   who   like    neither 


Viva  el  Rey!  ng 

King  Alphonso  nor  Don  Carlos,  and  these  are 
anarchists ;  but  Granada  was  heart  and  soul 
for  the  king,  and  all  the  people  were  overjoyed 
at  his  coming. 

Every  balcony  in  the  city  was  covered  with 
flowers ;  flags  and  banners  floated  everywhere. 
The  Alameda  was  ablaze  with  decorations,  and 
every  face  wore  a  smile  of  welcome.  The  pro- 
gramme for  the  day  was  a  simple  one.  The 
king  was  to  be  met  at  the  station  by  a  delega- 
tion, a  band,  and  a  mounted  escort,  witness 
a  military  review  on  the  Alameda,  and  depart 
by  an  afternoon  train.  All  Granada  must  see 
him,  and  Fernando  and  Juanita  with  it. 

It  had  been  decided  that  the  best  time  for 
the  children  to  have  a  good  look  at  the 
king  was  when  he  drove  to  the  Alhambra, 
and  Manuel  and  Dolores  started  early  to  take 
them  to  meet  Antonio,  who  had  promised  to 
provide  places  within  the  Alhambra  grounds, 
where   the   general    multitude    would    be    less 


120    Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

likely  to  go,  and  where  the  children  would 
have  a  finer  view.  Pablo  went  with  them,  for 
he  was  still  at  home,  and  he  walked  beside 
Babieca  to  see  that  Juanita  did  not  fall  off,  on 
her  long  ride  up-hill. 

"  See  there,  little  sister,"  he  said.  "  Is 
not  that  an  easy  way  to  get  milk  for  the 
day  ?  " 

The  goatherd  was  passing  at  the  head  of  his 
procession  of  goats,  looking  neither  to  the 
right  nor  to  the  left,  expecting  his  herd  to 
follow  him  as  gravely  as  he  walked ;  but  a 
peasant  woman  stole  out  of  her  door,  and 
quietly  milked  one  of  the  little  beasts,  who 
seemed  not  to  object  in  the  least,  and  took 
it  so  calmly  that  Pablo  added,  "That  is  not  the 
first  time  there  has  been  stolen  milk  for  break- 
fast, I'm  sure." 

"  See  the  poor  beggar ;  do  give  him  some- 
thing, Pablo,"  said  Juanita,  touched  by  a 
wretched  specimen  of  humanity  who  sat  with 


Viva  el  Rey!  121 

blind  eyes  peering  up  at  them  as  they  passed. 
Pablo  threw  a  perro  chico  into  the  beggar's 
outstretched  hand,  but  he  said : 

"  You  must  not  be  too  sad  for  all  the 
beggars,  nina ;  there  is  an  old  rhyme : 

"  *  The  armless  man  has  written  a  letter, 
The  blind  man  finds  the  writing  clear  ; 
The  mute  is  reading  it  aloud, 
And  the  deaf  man  runs  to  hear.' 

They  are  not  all  so  sad  as  they  look,  but 
one  must  give  for  fear  one  may  slight  the 
really  needy." 

"  Oh,  Pablo,  may  we  have  some  horchata?  " 
cried  Fernando,  and  his  brother  stopped  to 
purchase  some  of  the  snowy,  chilly,  puckery 
stuff,  and  they  enjoyed  it  greatly.  Fernando 
ate  too  hastily,  and  his  brother  said : 

"  ghiita,  quita !  You  must  not  act  so ! 
You  are  as  bad  as  the  king  when  he  was  a 
baby  and  put  his  knife  in  his  mouth.  His 
governess  said    to    him,   c  Kings    do    not   eat 


122    Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

with  their  knives/  and  he  haughtily  replied, 
'  This  king  does  ! '  " 

"  Indeed,"  said  Fernando,  pertly,  "  the  king 
is  my  cousin,  so  it  says  in  my  history  book 
that  all  Spaniards  may  say." 

"  He  is  your  cousin,  that  is,  you  must  love 
him  as  your  own  blood ;  but  say,  rather,  c  All 
equal  below  the  king/  and  put  him  ever  first. 
Remember  that  your  fathers  have  died  for  the 
Kings  of  Spain,  and  we  may  have  a  chance 
to  show  our  loyalty  yet,"  and  Pablo's  bright 
face  clouded  a  moment. 

"  Listen  to  the  music;  there  goes  the  military 
salute !  The  king  has  come,  and  by  the  time 
we  reach  the  Alhambra  he  will  be  on  his  way 
hither.  Get  up,  Babieca,"  and  he  hurried  the 
little  donkey  along  until  they  reached  the  top 
of  the  hill  and  found  Antonio  waiting  for 
them,  his  face  flushed  and  eager. 

"  He  will  pass  here,"  he  cried,  "  beneath  the 
Gate  of  Justice,  and  my  father  says  we  may 


Viva  el  Rey!  123 

stand  just  behind  the  guard  upon  the  wall ; 
there  could  not  be  a  better  place.,, 

"How  nice  that  will  be!"  cried  Juanita. 
"  And  where  is  Pepita  ?  " 

"  There,  awaiting  you,"  Antonio  answered. 
"  I  will  take  care  of  Babieca  and  return,"  and 
he  led  the  donkey  away,  coming  back  in 
a  few  moments,  and  they  all  waited  impa- 
tiently. 

Spaniards  all  love  a  spectacle,  and  the  young 
folk  could  hardly  restrain  themselves  as  they 
heard  the  strains  of  music  coming  nearer  and 
nearer.  At  last  the  cavalcade  came  in  sight, — 
first  a  troop  of  soldiers,  then  a  band  playing 
the  Marcha  Real,  then  a  mounted  guard  keep- 
ing close  to  His  Majesty's  carnage.  There  he 
sat,  the  young  king,  a  tall,  slight  youth,  with  a 
pale,  proud  face  and  great  black  eyes,  sad,  yet 
merry  and  tender ;  a  patrician  face  in  every 
feature,  yet  a  lovable  one,  and  one  to  arouse 
all  of  love  and  loyalty  in   his  subjects,  as  the 


124    Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

character  of  Alphonso  XIII.  arouses  their 
respect  and  affection. 

As  the  carriage  paused  at  the  entrance  gate, 
the  king  looked  up  at  the  eager  little  group 
upon  the  wall  and  smiled.  Juanita  and  Pepita 
flung  into  his  carriage  their  huge  bouquets 
of  flowers  and  to  the  girls  he  threw  a  kiss ;  but 
Fernando  and  Antonio  stood  up  very  straight 
and  saluted  gravely,  and  with  a  smile  in  his 
eyes,  but  with  grave  lips,  the  young  king  raised 
his  hand  to  his  hat  and  gave  them  in  return 
the  military  salute.  Then  his  carriage  passed 
on,  and  bore  him  out  of  sight,  but  a  shout 
went  up  from  every  voice,  cc  Viva  el  rey  !  *' 

"  When  I  grow  up  I  shall  be  a  nun  and 
pray  all  the  time  for  the  king!"  said  Pepita. 

"  I  shall  be  a  soldier  and  fight  for  him," 
said  Fernando,  proudly. 

"  And  I,"  said  Juanita,  "  shall  marry  and 
have  many  children  to  fight  and  pray  for  him 
and  for  Spain  !  " 


Viva  el  Rey!  125 

"  Indeed,  little  sister,  perhaps  thou  hast 
chosen  the  better  part,"  said  Pablo,  laugh- 
ing heartily. 

"  See  !  "  cried  Antonio,  "  there  goes  the  car- 
riage again,  and  hear  how  the  people  shout ! " 
and  as  the  bravas  rent  the  air,  the  children 
shouted,  too : 

"  Viva  Espafta  !  Viva  el  rey  !  Dios  guarde  a 
usted !  " ■ 

1  "  Long  live  Spain !  Long  live  the  king  !  God  guard  youi 
Grace ! " 


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of  Brotherly  Love.     A  sequel  to  "  Beautiful  Joe." 
By  Marshall  Saunders,  author  of  "  Beautiful  Joe." 
One  vol.,  library  12mo,  cloth,  illustrated   .        .      $1.50 
"  This  book  revives  the  spirit  of  '  Beautiful  Joe '  capi- 
tally.   It  is  fairly  riotous  with  fun,  and  is  about  as  unusual 
as  anything  in  the  animal  book  line  that  has  seen  the  light." 
—  Philadelphia  Item, 

'TILDA  JANE.     By  Marshall  Saunders. 
One  vol.,  12mo,  fully  illustrated,  cloth  decorative,  $1.50 
"  I  cannot  think  of  any  better  book  for  children  than 

this.     I  commend  it  unreserv  edly." —  Cyrus  Tovmsend 

Brady. 


'TILDA  JANE'S  ORPHANS.     A  sequel  to  'Tilda 
Jane.    By  Marshall  Saunders. 

One  vol.,  12mo,  fully  illustrated,  cloth  decorative,  $1.50 
'Tilda  Jane  is  the  same  original,  delightful  girl,  and  a* 

fond  of  her  animal  pets  as  ever. 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  GRAVELEYS.     By  Mar- 
shall  Saunders,   author  of   "  Beautiful  Joe's  Para- 
dise," "  'Tilda  Jane,"  etc. 
Library  12mo,  cloth  decorative.     Illustrated  by  E.  B. 

Barry $1.50 

Here  we  have  the  haps  and  mishaps,  the  trials  and 
triumphs,  of  a  delightful  New  England  family,  of  whose 
devotion  and  sturdiness  it  will  do  we  reader  good  to  hear. 

BORN  TO  THE  BLUE.      By    Florence    Kimball 

RUSSEL. 

12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .        .        .      $1.25 

The  atmosphere  of  army  life  on  the  plains  breathes  on 

every  page  of  this  delightful  tale.    The  boy  is  the  son  of  a 

captain  of  U.  S.  cavalry  stationed  at  a  frontier  post  in  the 

days  when  our  regulars  earned  the  gratitude  of  a  nation. 

A— 5 


Z.  C.  PAGE  <&*  COMPANY'S 


IN  WEST  POINT  GRAY 

By  Florence  Kimball  Russel. 

12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated      .       .  $1.66 

"  Singularly  enough  one  of  the  best  books  of  -he  year 
for  boys  is  written  by  a  woman  and  deals  with  lift  at  West 
Point.  The  presentment  of  life  in  the  famous  militarr 
academy  whence  so  many  heroes  have  graduated  is  realistic 
and  enjoyable."  —  New  York  Sun. 

FROM  CHEVRONS  TO  SHOULDER  STRAPS 

By  Florence  Kimeall  Russel. 

12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  decorative     .        .        .      $1.50 

West  Point  again  forms  the  background  of  a  new  volume 

in  this  popular  series,  and  relates  the  experience  of  Jack 

Stirling  during  his  junior  and  senior  years. 

THE  SANDMAN:  HIS  FARM  STORIES 

By  William  J.  Hopkins.    With  fifty  illustrations  by 

Ada  Clendenin  Williamson. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover       .        .        .  $1.50 

"  An  amusing,  original  book,  written  for  the  benefit  of 
very  small  children.  It  should  be  one  of  the  most  popular 
of  the  year's  books  for  reading  to  small  children."  — 
Buffalo  Express. 

THE  SANDMAN:  MORE  FARM  STORIES 

By  William  J.  Hopkins. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover,  fully  illustrated    $1.50 

Mr.  Hopkins's  first  essay  at  bedtime  stories  met  with 

such^approval  that  this  second  book  of  "  Sandman  "  tales 

was  issued  for  scores  of  eager  children.    Life  on  the  farm, 

and  out-of-doors,  is  portrayed  in  his  inimitable  manner. 

THE  SANDMAN:  HIS  SHIP  STORIES 

By  William  J.  Hopkins,  author  of  "  The  Sandman: 

His  Farm  Stories,"  etc. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover,  fully  illustrated    $1.50 

"  Children  call  for  these  stories  over  and  over  again."  — 
Chicago  Evening  Post. 
A— 0 


